Tessa peered up at Helm, whose green eyes were trained on her. "Capitan Mazar did not shoot you, did he?"

"No, I need to speak to him." Mary Rose tried to get up, but great pain made her body contract and she let out a yelp.

"You have to lie still," Helm informed her. "Would you like a sedative?"

"NO! I want to see Lorenzo!" Mary Rose said, with all the force she could muster, then collapsed back to the table.

Helm checked her eyes and then said, "I think she has fainted."

"That is good. She should rest and lie still." Tessa wanted her to get better, and was glad to know that the spirit that was Mary Rose was still there.

"Why did you ask whether or not Mazar shot her?"

"Because he is in jail for the offense, and I know he did not do it."

Suddenly, Helm's hand was on her arm as he stretched over the table and pulled her to his living quarters, then drew back the curtain separating the two main rooms. "You didn't answer my question before. Just what do you know, Tessa?"

She needed to tell him so he could help her, but she had no idea who might be listening. "I was so afraid. A woman, my friend, was shot in front of me, and I do not want to get into trouble."

Helm rolled his eyes. "Save it, Tessa. I've sent all the soldiers out of earshot and my patient has been muttering the most interesting things about you. I don't think we are going to say much that she hasn't figured out, even if she does wake up. Now, get on with it."

Tessa said, "They were arguing on the porch and...."

As she related all she had seen and done, including seeing the man ride off in the distance and following him, and finding a military unit with a kidnapped woman, Helm got more and more enthralled by the story. By the time she had told him everything she knew, he declared, "Montoya! Of course he is behind all this. It did not make sense otherwise."

"No, I do not think he is involved. It was another unit, with a man wearing Colonel stripes himself."

He asked, "Another military unit? What is another Colonel doing on Montoya's domain?"

"That is the question, is it not?"

"What about the dead man on your property?"

"I do not know who he is. Marta saw him faltering on a horse and went to help. He died. He had a map to Mary Rose's hacienda and a gold watch on him. That is all any of us know. I did not have anyone tell Montoya about him because I did not know..." She hesitated, ashamed, "...if I would get in trouble."

Helm sighed. "You mean, if someone made a connection that you don't want. This is important information of not only one murder, but an attempted murder as well. I can't see how you can avoid telling Montoya. Not, and get Marta out of jail."

That was a first--Helm telling her to be honest with Montoya. "What should we do?"

Helm looked thoughtful. "I see no other option than to tell Montoya about it. He has men at his disposal to take care of the other Colonel, and hopefully no one else will get hurt."

"All right," Tessa said uneasily. "He will not turn all of this around to blame anything on me or Marta, will he?"

"I think he will be pleased you have told him of the other Colonel. We'll just have to hope for the best with your other problem. Maybe this little territorial dispute will distract him, though he does seem pretty fixated on you."

"What if he is working with this other Colonel?" Tessa asked, remembering Grisham going to see him while on the beach. But then again, Grisham wasn't wearing his uniform. He couldn't have been going in Montoya's capacity.

"We'll deal with that as it comes, if it comes. At least, if you tell him, it might force his hand. Now, go get my nurse out of jail."

"One more thing," Tessa said, as he was escorting her to the door.

"Only one? How many one-more-things will there be?"

"Just the one." She smiled as she told him, "Grisham visited the Colonel on the beach. So you see, I do not know who to trust."

"That son of a bitch? I should have known. Do you have any thoughts as to why he would have been...." Helm said, then he paused. "Never mind. Just tell Montoya what you know and we will think of how to curtail whatever is going on."

"But how am I going to persuade him to let Marta out?" she said plaintively, as he shooed her out the door.

"You're a resourceful girl, Maria Teresa," he said cheerfully. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

How she missed the time when he had thought she was silly and flighty--except that he hadn't been any more sympathetic back then, either.

Act Four

As she stepped out, Tessa saw Marta leaving the jail and cried out. She rushed over to Marta. Helm, hearing her cry, came out of his office. "Marta?" Tessa asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Tessita," Marta said, seemingly grateful to be back in the good outdoors. "The Colonel would like to see you now."

Just then, Grisham walked up to them. He was now wearing his uniform. Tessa and Helm exchanged a look before Helm asked him, "What have you been up to, today?"

Grisham stood tall and said, "Taller than you," just before walking into the jail.

Tessa asked Marta, "What did you tell Montoya?"

"The truth," she said aloud, then whispered, "Except for the watch and the map."

Two soldiers walked out of the jail and waited for Tessa. "The Colonel will see you now."

Tessa looked to Helm, who took her arm to escort her and nodded comfortingly. When they got to the door of the jail, one of the soldiers pushed Helm back. "The Seņorita, alone."

"I have to get back to my patient," Helm told Tessa. "You will be all right. Just tell him the truth."

"Of course. What else is there to tell?" Tessa snarled as the surly guard looked her up and down.

In the jail, Tessa could hear two men arguing, and figured they were Mazar and Anton. "Quiet down!" a guard yelled at them, hitting his dagger against the bars of the nearest cell.

Montoya looked downright regal in his office chair, which had been brought to the jail. He stood with a smile and offered her a cup of tea. "No, thank you, Colonel. It has been the most horrendous day. I do so hope I can help."

"Just sit down and tell me about the dead man, and you will help greatly, Seņorita."

"One moment." Before she could be stopped, Tessa walked to the door to the cells and said, "Anton? Captain Mazar? I just saw Mary Rose and she will be fine."

Both men started again declaring that they would like to see her with their own eyes as Tessa was escorted back to a chair waiting near Montoya. "Seņorita, why did you feel the need to rile them up once again?"

"Anton should know that his mother...."

"He already knows." Montoya lifted a piece of parchment with writing on it up to him, not letting her look at it, and said, "All right. Start from the beginning. Who is the dead man, how did you come across him, how did he die, and did your maid stab him?"

Tessa looked up at Grisham standing behind Montoya's right shoulder. "I can only tell you what Marta did, Colonel. I think it would more prudent if you and I have a chat. Alone," she said as she stared at Grisham.

Gaspar had collected the Dons that were still at Hernandez's hacienda, sharing a tumbler of brandy, who obviously didn't have wives as breathtaking as he had, as they weren't in any hurry to return home. It didn't take long after Gaspar told them of what he had found for them to all draw rifles and call for horses and charge back to where Gaspar had left his driver. With Gaspar driving the wagon with Dons and collected ranchhands piled in the back, all armed to the teeth, they arrived at the cliff, where Alberto had made himself comfortable under a mesquite tree for shelter from the sun.

As the wagon neared, Alberto rose and waved his position. Gaspar looked to the shore to see it empty. "You fool!" Gaspar declared. "Where did they go?"

"Up the plain, Seņor," Alberto said, climbing into the seat next to Don Rodriguez who was seated next to Gaspar. "I followed them for a while, then, knowing they couldn't move too fast, I came back here in order to tell you where they went."

"Fine, fine," Gaspar said, a bit embarrassed. "Good work. Where are they?"

Alberto pointed toward Santa Elena. "I think they are going to the Pueblo."

"To kidnap more women," one of the Dons declared in anger. Another mentioned, "I wonder if Montoya knows about this!"

"There is only one way to find out," Gaspar said as he snapped the reins and the wagon took off again.

Marta scurried through the gathered citizens surrounding the jail, holding her head down and moving fast to the door. She had left so carefully that the soldier who had escorted her out of the jail hadn't noticed she had gone, as far as she could tell. Because she had done a head count while inside the jail during her interrogation, and she had seen that many, minus Montoya and now Grisham, leave the jail, she assumed that the only ones left in the jail were the prisoners.

Marta rushed around the jailhouse to the back door. She had thought of nothing but clearing Tessa for anything the Colonel could think up about the dead man, except for wondering if that Captain was as truthful as he claimed. Hoping it wasn't locked, she gave the door's cast iron ring a lift, then twist. To her amazement, the door opened, having not been locked. She walked inside the jail and hid herself in the corner, waiting to see who was around. She could hear the conversation between Tessa and Montoya in the other room, but couldn't make out what they were saying. From the bit she heard of Tessa's voice, she wasn't distressed, so it must be going well. Marta just hoped she could keep the Colonel's attention long enough to settle her own mind.

Her psychic ability had been so taken by the tall pirate behind bars with the son of his lover. His love for Seņora Guevara had shone through. Even though Marta hadn't held any esteem for her after being kidnapped and referred to as just a 'gypsy cook', Marta couldn't believe Mazar would have tried to kill Mary Rose. But, he might know who had. When she took a step, she alerted Anton and Mazar, who both ran to the bars of their cell, but kept mercifully silent. She took off her shoes and then tiptoed to them. "Give me your hand," she said to Mazar, but Anton stuck his out of the bars.

"Get us out of here," he whispered forcefully.

Marta walked past Anton's hand and looked to Mazar. He stuck his hand out to her and she grasped it. Almost immediately she was getting impressions. The same impressions she had before of his innocence of the attempted murder, and his feelings of love for Mary Rose, flipped through her mind, but there was also a black cloud. She asked him, "Did you have anything to do with Seņora Guevara's injury?"

"No, Seņora. Not directly," Mazar whispered in return. "Mary Rose getting shot was put into implementation before I even met her."

"You--" Anton said, but both Mazar and Marta gave him the evil eye and he shrank back.

"Quiet in there!" Grisham was heard shouting from the other room, but he did not come.

Marta said in a whisper, almost to herself, "The Tarot could not have been wrong. There will be a death." Marta looked up at the powerful man, who had a flash of surprise on his face. "Did you have anything to do with a dead man on the Alvarado property?"

Mazar paused and took at least three comfortable breaths, gnawing his teeth, before he replied, "Was he a large man?"

"Yes."

"His name is Fox. Yes, I stabbed him."

Anton reacted again, but kept quiet. For Anton's benefit as well as Marta's, Mazar said, "He was a traitor. He was more guilty of Mary Rose's shooting than anyone but the man who actually pulled the trigger."

"I will set you free," Marta said, "But, you have to promise me that you have told me the truth."

"Seņora, I swear on the life of my daughter," Mazar pledged, "that I had nothing to do with the plot against Mary Rose."

"Your services to justice will be more useful outside than in here." Marta let go of Mazar's hand, totally convinced of his innocence, and went to look for the keys to the cell. After opening Mazar and Anton's cell, she turned to Eladio, who was hopeful in his own cell in the corner. "I am sorry, Eladio. Montoya cannot hold you, and you will be freed. If you escape, it will only make him want to keep you."

Eladio nodded and stepped back. Marta looked to Casson, who was still sleeping off his hangover, then followed the men out the back door of the jail.

Mary Rose stirred, feeling pain in her body throughout her body as she focused on the ceiling, trying to determine where she was. It didn't take long to realize she was in Dr. Helm's office, as the cabinet of potions and powders was in her sight. This was not what she had in mind when she had thought to pay the good Doctor a visit. The events of not only the day, but also of the past three months, replayed in her thoughts. She had been so sure that Lorenzo had double-crossed her, but he had no reason to come to explain. Whoever was after him had to have missed him and hit her. Good thing she was tough. She was proud of the fact that she had a life to live for, and she was fighting for it now as a wave of pain washed through her when she tried to move on her own. If only she could sit up, she would feel so much better. She lifted her opposite arm from her injury to feel the wound. It had been covered with a cloth, and she lifted it tenderly. The skin where she surmised the bullet went in didn't hurt half as much as inside of her. She must have a broken rib or two, and hadn't felt that kind of pain since she birthed Anton.

If she could only sit up and get the pressure off her bones, she would feel better. She tightened her right arm over her wound and rolled to her left side, holding her breath. Thankful she was thin, she rolled over on the narrow table and lifted herself up with her left arm, then let her legs fall over the side. After straightening her body, keeping her right arm tightly and protectively over her wound, she actually started to breathe easier.

When the process of the events replayed in a different light, now that she no longer deemed Mazar the cause of all unhappiness, a wave of nausea hit her and she couldn't stop herself from vomiting. The cause of her trauma came with the thought that her dead husband's 'old friend' Balthazar could have had something to do with all this. She had never known where Andres had gotten that gold watch, but he was certainly proud of it, and made it seem to Anton that it was a treasured possession, as if it had been in the family for generations.

As she tried to wipe her mouth of her sickness, she thought more of Alfonso as less than friendly than she and Andres had considered him. Madre de Dios! she thought, as she realized that Alfonso could be in the neighborhood to settle all old scores, and Maria Teresa could be next.

Continue to Part Eleven

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