She was beginning to understand that Solomon wouldn't simply wait for them to arrive in Denver.
He was watching.
And if they wanted the truth to survive, they'd have to make certain it reached people he couldn't easily intimidate.
Eleanor opened her document case.
Then looked toward Caleb.
“I have an idea.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Should I be worried?”
She smiled faintly.
“Probably.”
For a moment, he stared.
Then laughed.
And together, they began preparing to make Solomon Whitmore's next move much harder than he expected.
Eleanor's idea was simple enough that Caleb initially wondered why he'd never thought of it.
They would stop carrying the entire case as though losing the wagon meant losing the evidence.
At the freight station, she purchased paper, envelopes, and postage, then asked the station clerk whether there was a trusted express service capable of delivering documents to Denver. The clerk explained the available arrangements and identified a local notary who could make certified records of certain papers if the originals were presented properly.
Eleanor listened carefully.
Then she selected the documents most important to establishing the existence of the dispute.
The original Bell survey copies.
Nathaniel Mercer's written account.
And the property record naming Miriam Bell.
She didn't send every original.
Instead, with the notary's help, she arranged accurate copies and documented their delivery to her attorney, Martin Pierce, as well as to an independent legal office recommended by Reverend Cross.
She also prepared a signed statement describing the threats at the mountain cabin.
The statement was factual.
It identified the men involved.
The approximate dates.
Their claims.
And the attempted entry through the window.
She did not accuse them of crimes she couldn't establish.
She simply described what happened.
Caleb watched her work.
For a while, he remained silent.
Then he smiled.
“You're very good at this.”
Eleanor looked up.
“At writing letters?”
“At thinking ahead.”
She laughed softly.
“Henry used to say I worried too much.”
Caleb's expression changed.
Then he shook his head.
“I suspect Henry didn't like how many things you noticed.”
For a moment, she stared.
Then smiled.
“Perhaps.”
When the documents were prepared, Eleanor asked the notary to record their existence and the relevant details. She paid the necessary fees and retained the receipts.
Then she returned to the wagon.
Reuben Graves was still watching.