Sally Stember

Cate Darringer Sally Stember

A young girl growing up in Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma, circa 1892) yearns to explore the world. When a botanist comes to town to enlist the aid of her brother to go to Nigeria to search for a cure for cancer, Cate determines to persuade him, she is the better candidate. When her boastful ways fail to impress him, she switches tactics: she'll marry her brother off to a bride who will refuse to leave quaint Henryetta. With James safely out of the way, the botanist will clearly see that she is the only logical choice. When the delivery of the love letter she forged in her brother's handwriting lands in the wrong hands, all the eligible ladies for miles around are suddenly vying for the wrong man! Time is ticking not only for love, but for justice. Cate remains vigilant on her quest to prove her mentally challenged friend, Stumpy Gilbert, is innocent of murder. Due to hang based solely on her own father's erroneous, circumstantial testimony, Cate must act quickly. When Stumpy is broken out of jail by unknown assailants, the town goes searching for him and Cate goes searching for the truth. Coming upon a crime in progress, she outsmarts and out maneuvers a trio of would be robbers and kidnappers, one of whom with first hand knowledge of the murder. With these men safely in jail, life could have been expected to return to normal, had she not intercepted and replied to a coded telegram. Only partial aware of what she had done, she goes about business as usual. While the rest of the town is celebrating a wedding, Cate is teaching her toe rag nemesis a thing or two when Stumpy Gilbert appears with the very evidence she had obtained to use to clear his name. Dashing after him, least he lose the evidence for good, she stumbles upon yet another crime! Some folks don't learn the first time around, but Cate is always willing to explain the law again. Or at least, her idea of what it should be.