Jess had really wanted to find Ray before he rode off but he also felt like he was running out of time so he couldn't stick around and find him right now. He made is way, on his horse, over to the Marshall's office. Jess wasn't sure if there was a new Marshall in town from the time he'd left, but he'd find out soon enough. Jess was nervous but he tried not to let it show. He was nervous for his sister and he didn't have a clue as to how the law worked and what he could try to do to save her.
Tying up his horse, Jess made his way inside. Before he pushed through the door he could hear the voices of two men talking inside. He, of course, had no idea they were talking about his sister when he finally did make his way inside. Upon entrance he removed his hat, out of respect, when he saw that one of the men, badge on his chest, was the town Marshall. He inclined his head to the man, but didn't speak yet as the gentlemen in front of him seemed ready to speak again.
"The Law may very well 'be an ass', but a man can travel a mighty long way on an ass."
"Then what you are asking is for me to release her into the custody of a woman. And just who might that be?" He asked.
"Wha...?" Reeve was so taken aback he could hardly get his words out.
"Mister Reeve, I can appreciate your concern for her welfare, but I have to remind you of the process for such a release from our custody to someone else's. I'll need a court order for that release."
"No no no..." he interupted the Marshal "... I'm not so stupid as to think you'd be so stupid to do that. I just mean someone to come in and look after her needs while she's here in jail waiting for her... for her sentence to be carried out. You could swear her in as a deputy for a week or something if you wanted it to be above board. It might save yourselves some inconvenient or awkward moments too." he suggested, although it was Zenobia's welfare he was thinking of really, not theirs.
"I understand your concern, Lewis. My deputies and I are doing the best we can to see to her needs, but you do understand she was convicted of murdering her father. Now, before you go off on he deserved it, half the town knows that. I know that. But she was convicted by a jury of strangers. She didn't help herself by remaining quiet. That just sealed the deal for her."
The young lawyer nodded "I'm not contesting that, Marshal... or rather I am, but with the Territorial Legislature, not you."
He paused, "Lewis, I fear that she might kill herself, given the opportunity. Now, if I can, I'd be willing to do what I could to see about a new trial, here, where it happened, where there are countless witnesses for her defense. And, I'll see about that court order. Other than that, I don't have the authority to release her to anyone's custody, even to mine."
"But what about having someone come in as a... I don't know, call her a 'Female Warden' or what not? If anything, that would be a guard against her... well, taking her own life." he suggested again.
The door opened and a man walked in. Despite the blond hair and the tanned face, he had the same cast of features and striking blue eyes of the prisoner and Reeve took a punt.
"Mr Matthews, by any chance?" he asked.
"I'm Lewis Reeve, your sister's lawyer... and this is Mr Guyer, the town Marshal"
Hannah walked along the town's boardwalk already regretting having attired herself in a gown and all the required lady-like accessories that went with the garment. It was already hot for June and she would far rather be riding out to a private swimming hole to swim and cool off. Instead, here she was, trying to get all her notes and ducks in rows for the weekly meeting with Mayor Wentworth. It wasn't that the job was that trying or difficult. Her main task was keeping her ear to the ground, gather citizen concerns, and act as a liaison from her old job as a Deputy Marshal back when her dad, Scott Cory, served as the town marshal. Today's task...gather copies of wanted posters to review and get briefed on my the Marshal, plus any concerns he had regarding the immediate crime in Kalispell.
Pushing the door open, she entered without looking up, calling out cheerfully, "Speed! Sorry, I'm.....uh....late..." Hannah trailed off as she looked up and took note of the other occupants in the Marshal's office.
"I'm sorry..." Hannah said, flashing a brief smile at the others, "if this is a bad time, I can come back."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Hannah, no, no, this may be fortuitous," Speed said with a knowing smile. This might work out after all. "This is Mister Lewis Reeve, Zenobia Matthews' lawyer. He'd like her to have a woman tending to her needs. Now I thought he was seeking her release to someone. I'm thinking, if you were willing, that is, to take custody of her until the stay of execution is resolved one way or another." He paused a moment, then continued.
"I mean, you have been sworn in while I was out wounded, and you were a deputy under your father, so you could surely serve as, like he said, a female warden. I don't know about obtaining an order to release her to your custody, if that was even something you'd consider. The risk for that would be substantial. We'd need a court order, and it would be up to Judge Harlan Bryant. Chances he'd sign one aren't all that good anyway."
"The Law may very well 'be an ass', but a man can travel a mighty long way on an ass."
Lewis looked at the attractive young woman and tried to keep his mind on his job.
"Please understand, Miss, er,..." the Marshal hadn't given him her name "... er, Miss. I am in no way asking for Miss Matthews removal from the confines of her cell. I merely wish for..." but then he clammed up as the door opened and a man walked in. Despite the blond hair and the tanned face, he had the same cast of features and striking blue eyes of the prisoner and Reeve took a punt.
"Mr Matthews, by any chance?" he asked.
"I'm Lewis Reeve, your sister's lawyer... and this is Mr Guyer, the town Marshal, and erm, Miss... er?"
As Jess stood in the Marshall’s office it seemed the only one to take notice of him was Mr. Lewis. Everything was happening so fast. He was trying to make sense of what everyone was saying. Then in walked another woman. Hearing his sisters name in the same sentence as execution from the Marshall had a way of sending a chill right down to his bones.
He addressed the lawyer. “Yes, sir. Jessie Matthews, just call me Jess.”
He looked between the Marshall and the woman and Mr. Lewis. “What’s going on?” He looked at the Marshall. “Can I please see my sister? And sir is there any chance of getting her another trial? At least here in the town where people might understand her a little better?”
Asking the townsfolk to undertsand Zenobia was asking a lot but asking them to relate to why she killed their father well that was something else entirely and he felt like that might be her only chance of survival. Legally anyway.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"We are looking into that. Now, Mister Reeve here has a stay of Execution pending, meaning if the governor signs it, that the execution will be put off for a while, and that gives us much more time to pursue the new trial, and it will be held here if we get it. I believe there is a good chance of that happening."
"You leave your gun here on my desk and I'll take you back to see her." He offered, "Unless the deputy here, Miss Hannah Cory, would do that."
Speed paused,. then turned toward Reeve and asked, "Lewis, how difficult do you believe getting a re-trial will be? I mean, that hopefully with Dutton Peabody in our corner, pulling for us with the governor, that might tilt things in our direction. Wouldn't you think?"
@Stormwolf @Javia