Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sheriff Henry Jackson sat down at the small kitchen table, his heavy frame settling into the wooden chair with a creak.
He removed his hat, setting it down on the table as he wiped a hand across his forehead, the lines of exhaustion etched into his weathered face.
Daniel and Edith stood across from him, exchanging anxious glances.
“I ain’t gonna sugarcoat this,” Sheriff Jackson began, looking from Daniel to Edith with a grim expression.
Daniel stood by the hearth, arms crossed, his jaw clenched tight.
His eyes never left the sheriff, dark and unreadable, but the muscles in his forearms were taut, betraying the tension coiled inside him.
He didn’t say a word, but Edith could feel the storm brewing within him, a silent fury building that he refused to let show.
Edith hovered nearby, her heart pounding in her chest, her hands clenched at her sides.
She watched the sheriff’s face intently, her mind racing with questions and dread.
The sheriff shifted in his chair, the wood groaning under his weight. He glanced between the two of them, his expression serious, almost resigned. The lines around his mouth deepened as he drew in a long breath.
“William Carter’s been down to the office, demanding that I charge you, Daniel,” he continued.
Edith’s breath hitched, her hand flying to her chest. “What?” she gasped, stepping forward. “But... but that’s not fair! Daniel didn’t do anything wrong!” Her voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes wide with disbelief. The accusation caused her stomach to flip with churn with panic.
Sheriff Jackson let out a long, weary sigh, leaning back slightly in his chair.
He rubbed a hand over his face, as if trying to scrub away the tension that clung to him.
“I know, Edith. I was there when I saw the state of the man.” He hesitated, his gaze dropping to his hat on the table.
“But he claims Daniel assaulted him and wants him charged for it.”
She paused, frustration and panic mingling before she gestured to the bruise still darkening her cheek.
“Look at me, Sheriff! My father hit me. This bruise is from him.” Her voice cracked as she pointed to the clear evidence of her father’s violence.
“How is it fair that Daniel is the one being punished when all he did was try to protect me?”
Sheriff Jackson’s eyes dropped to her face, his expression softening for a brief moment as he took in the bruise.
His brow furrowed in what seemed like sympathy, but he quickly masked it with a sigh.
He ran a hand over his face, clearly torn.
“Edith,” he said gently, “I don’t doubt your story.
I’ve known for a long time what kind of man your father is.
” He paused, glancing at Daniel before looking back at Edith.
“But the law doesn’t always care about what’s fair. ”
The room seemed to close in on Edith as the sheriff’s words sank in. She couldn’t believe it. “So that’s it?” she said, her voice rising in disbelief. “My father can hit me, but because he filed a complaint, it’s Daniel who has to suffer?”
Sheriff Jackson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his expression pained.
“It’s not about fairness, Edith,” he explained, his voice low.
“William’s filed a formal complaint, and the law requires that I investigate.
Whether or not you’ve been hurt, I have to do my job. If I don’t, it’s my neck on the line.”
Edith’s heart sank. She could feel the fight slipping from her, the fear tightening its grip around her chest again.
“But... Sheriff, you know Daniel didn’t hurt him.
He was protecting me.” Her voice was barely a whisper now, the desperation lacing every word.
“You’ve seen the bruises he left on me, haven’t you?
You know what kind of man my father is.”
The sheriff’s eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw something—sympathy, perhaps.
But then it was gone, replaced by the weight of his duty.
“Edith, I understand. I do,” he said softly, almost apologetically.
“But I can’t just look the other way. William’s filed a formal complaint.
I have to do my job, no matter what I personally believe. ”
Daniel finally moved, his arms uncrossing as he stepped toward the table. His voice, when he spoke, was low and firm, filled with a quiet anger. “So what happens now?”
The sheriff’s eyes flicked to Daniel, his face tightening. “I’ll have to take a statement, and there’ll be an investigation. You’ll need to come down to the office. I’ll do what I can to keep things quiet for now, but if this goes to court, there’ll be a trial.”
Daniel finally spoke, his voice rough but steady. “Let him press charges. If that’s what it comes to, I’ll face it.”
Edith whipped her head around to look at him, disbelief etched on her face. “You can’t mean that,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Daniel, no. You can’t let him do this to you.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the floor. “If it keeps you safe, Edith, then I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Her heart twisted painfully at his words. He was willing to sacrifice himself—his freedom—to protect her, but it wasn’t right. She couldn’t let him carry the burden alone.
“No,” she said firmly, stepping closer to him. “This isn’t right, Daniel. You were defending me. You shouldn’t have to pay for that. And besides, if you’re in jail, who is going to protect me from him then? He’ll force me to go back home with him.”
Sheriff Jackson looked between the two of them, his brow furrowed as if weighing his options.
“Look, I don’t want to see you get in trouble for this, Daniel,” he said, his voice softening. “But William’s got a loud mouth, and he’s been running it all over town. If I don’t at least investigate, it’ll raise questions.”
“Then investigate,” Edith said suddenly, her voice resolute. “Talk to the people who know him—talk to Mary and Sam, the pastor. They all know what kind of man my father is. They know he’s not to be trusted.”
To their surprise, Sheriff Jackson nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he mulled over her words.
“You’re right,” he finally said, letting out a long sigh as he stood. “Everyone in town knows what kind of man William is. He’s been a troublemaker for years, and no one’s surprised to hear he got what was coming to him.”
Edith held her breath, hoping that the sheriff would drop the case entirely.
“That said,” Sheriff Jackson continued, his voice stern, “I don’t want you anywhere near William. He’s a ticking time bomb, and if you go poking that hornet’s nest, things could get a lot worse for you both. Stay away from him. Let things cool off.”
Edith nodded hurriedly, feeling a bit of relief that the sheriff didn’t seem to want to arrest Daniel. She didn’t want to see her father again—ever—but the sheriff’s warning filled her with an uneasy tension. Her father would be livid for Daniel knocking him out and for Edith standing up to him.
Sheriff Jackson tipped his hat and moved toward the door, his boots creaking against the floorboards. As his hand reached for the doorknob, Edith spoke up, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
“Sheriff,” she called, her voice hesitant. “What about the missing woman? Has there been any sign of her?”
The sheriff paused, his hand still on the doorknob, and turned back to face them. His expression darkened, and for a moment, a shadow passed over his face. “Her parents received a letter,” he said slowly, as if weighing each word carefully. “The letter said she’d run away. That she was fine.”
Edith’s brow furrowed. “Run away? Just like that?”
Sheriff Jackson hesitated, the doubt clear in his eyes even as he nodded. “That’s what the letter said. But between you and me… I don’t believe it. Something about it doesn’t sit right.”
Daniel stiffened beside her, his eyes narrowing as he listened. “So, what now?” he asked, his voice low. “Is the case closed?”
The sheriff’s face tightened, and he glanced down at the floor. “Officially? Yes. The family wants to believe she’s safe, and without any evidence to suggest otherwise, there’s nothing more I can do. For now, it’s closed.”
Edith’s heart sank. The idea of the missing woman being out there, alone and vulnerable, gnawed at her. The letter didn’t make sense, and the sheriff’s doubt only fueled her unease. She had a terrible feeling that the case was far from over.
Sheriff Jackson opened the door, stepping out into the evening air. “Just keep your distance from William,” he said, his voice carrying a note of finality. “And if you hear anything… anything about that girl, you let me know.”
With that, he left, the door closing softly behind him.
Once Sheriff Jackson was gone, the quiet of the cabin settled in around them, the mood of the evening dark and dismal. Edith felt uneasy, troubled by her father’s persistence in controlling her, as well as the missing girl.
Daniel’s voice broke through Edith’s thoughts. “We need to be careful,” he said quietly, his eyes hard as they met hers. “William’s not going to stop, and neither will whatever’s going on in town with that woman.”
Edith stood there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her thoughts spinning. She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself before speaking.
“I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “For all the trouble I’ve brought into your life. If it weren’t for me, none of this would be happening. You’d be better off without me here.”
Daniel, who had been staring out the window with a grim expression, turned slowly.
His eyes softened at her words, though a fire was still burning behind them, a fierce protectiveness that made Edith’s heart ache.
He took a step closer, his presence solid and steady, his gaze unwavering as it locked onto hers.
“Don’t say that,” he said firmly, his voice carrying a quiet intensity that made her chest tighten. “You’re not bringing trouble, Edith. None of this is your fault. It’s him. It’s always been him.”
Edith’s breath caught, the rawness in his tone sending a shiver down her spine. She wanted to believe him, wanted to take comfort in his words, but the guilt still gnawed at her, sharp and relentless. She shook her head, her hands trembling slightly as she hugged herself tighter.
“But… my father, the sheriff, all the things that have happened... I don’t want to be a burden to you,” she said, her voice breaking. “You’ve already done so much for me, Daniel. You shouldn’t have to keep carrying this weight because of me.”
Daniel stepped closer, his large frame towering over her, but his touch was gentle as he placed a hand on her arm.
His voice softened, though it remained steady with the same conviction he had shown before.
“You’re not a burden, Edith. Not now, not ever.
I told you I’d protect you, and I meant it.
No matter what happens, I won’t let anyone hurt you again. ”
His words wrapped around her like a shield, but there was something else beneath them, something unspoken that had been lurking between them for far too long.
Edith’s chest ached, not just from the fear of her father but from the growing uncertainty that had gnawed at her since she had come to stay with Daniel.
He was always there—always protecting her—but there was a distance she couldn’t cross, a barrier he had built that kept her just out of reach.
“You say you’ll protect me,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she gathered the courage to speak the words she had been holding back for days. “But you won’t marry me?”
The question hung in the air like a live wire, crackling with tension.
Daniel’s expression faltered, the fierce determination in his eyes flickering for the briefest moment.
His jaw tightened, and the silence that followed was unbearable.
Edith’s heart sank, her breath catching in her throat.
She could feel the cold weight of his hesitation, the answer he wasn’t giving.
She took a small step back, her chest tightening with the fear that she had pushed too far, that she had broken whatever fragile bond they had built. “I’m sorry,” she stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I shouldn’t have—”
“No,” Daniel interrupted, his voice strained. He took a step toward her, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t apologize, Edith.”
He hesitated, his hand hovering just above her arm as if he wanted to reach for her, but couldn’t.