She had noticed the discrepancy before anyone else.
Her careful attention to the figures was beginning to reveal a pattern that Harlan had expected nobody to examine.
But Harlan wasn't finished.
On the fourth night after his arrival, someone entered the boardinghouse office while Esther was upstairs.
Martha heard the noise first.
She was coming down the stairs with a folded blanket when she noticed a dark figure near the desk. The man wore a blue coat and had opened the drawer where Esther kept correspondence from guests.
Martha froze.
He looked up.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then the man stepped toward her.
"Where are the papers?"
Martha felt the old fear rising.
She recognized the blue coat.
The same man the telegraph operator had described.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The stranger's expression hardened.
"Mr. Tate says you've got property that belongs to him."
Martha took a slow breath.
The man moved closer.
Then Esther's voice rang out from the hallway.
"Get away from my guest."
The stranger turned.
Esther stood holding an oil lamp.
Behind her was Caleb.
They had been speaking near the kitchen when Esther heard the movement in the office.
The man looked toward the door.
Then toward Martha.
For a moment, he appeared ready to run.
Caleb stepped aside, leaving the exit open rather than forcing a struggle in the narrow room.
"Don't come near her," he said.
The stranger hesitated.
Then he moved toward the doorway.
But before he could leave, Sheriff Price appeared outside.
He had been making his rounds near the freight depot and noticed the rear entrance standing open.
The sheriff stopped the man, questioned him, and discovered that he had no authorization to search the boardinghouse.
The incident gave the authorities another reason to examine what Tate's associates were doing in town.
Martha remained beside the stairs, shaking.
Caleb approached slowly.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head.
He looked relieved.
Then he said, "You don't have to stay here if you no longer feel safe."
Martha looked toward Esther.
The boardinghouse keeper smiled gently.
"This is still my house, child. And I intend to keep it safe."
Martha swallowed.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she nodded.
"I'd like to stay."
Caleb looked toward her.
He understood that returning to the mountain immediately might feel like running away again.
Martha wasn't ready to do that.
Not yet.
She wanted to see the matter through.
And this time, he intended to respect her choice.
The following morning, Harlan arrived at the sheriff's office with an attorney from a neighboring town.
He demanded the return of the copied accounts and accused Martha of stealing proprietary business records.
Gideon listened.
Then he explained that the complaint would be considered alongside the other allegations and that any records relevant to an inquiry would need to be handled through the proper procedures.