by Aileen Fish
It was impossible to stop her heartbeat from skipping again, but she’d think about his thoughtfulness later. Right now, they needed to catch them a thief!
She jumped and landed on her feet, but stumbled slightly. He grabbed hold of her arms, keeping her upright. Once she was steady, she took off in a run. Ashton was by her side.
Nicole scanned the area, searching for the bulky man in black with brown hair, holding a handbag, but so far she couldn’t see him. He must have disappeared behind that large building.
“Do you see him,” she shouted to Ashton.
“No, but he went this way.” He pointed toward the building.
As they ran toward the large structure, more and more people gathered around Virginia City’s depot as the train ground to a stop, making it impossible to find the thief. Helplessness washed over Nicole, making her angrier. They were so close to catching him. They couldn’t possibly lose him now!
Yet, the more she looked from one person to another, the more her hopes dropped. By now, the man could have hidden somewhere and changed his clothes, which was probably what happened.
They reached the other side of the building, only to find more people coming to board the train. Nicole slowed her steps, as did Ashton. His expression reflected the same defeat she felt. “I think we’ve lost him,” she said.
“No. We’ll just switch our search a little. We’ll look for a man who is holding his injured right arm, has brown hair, and clasping a handbag.”
“Yes, good plan, and—” she dropped her gaze to the ground, “let’s also look for spatters of blood. I’m sure he’s bleeding, so we should find something on the ground.”
Although she kept their pace fast, she watched the ground for any signs of blood. Ashton appeared to be doing the same, but after they walked around the building twice and hadn’t seen a thing, Nicole was ready to give up.
Ashton cursed—something she hadn’t heard him do. She stopped and met his angry eyes. His hands were bunched by his side.
“I won’t accept this. We were so close! He has to be here somewhere.”
Her chest burned from exertion and she tried to regulate her breathing. She touched his arm. “Indeed, this is very disheartening, but we have learned a few things from today’s venture.”
He arched an eyebrow. “We have?”
“Yes. In previous reports from the police, they’d found witnesses that said they saw a man with your features, which of course, led us to believe it was you. But we’ve discovered this person does not look like you at all. His hair color is even a different color.”
Ashton nodded. “That is true.” He took a deep breath. “But I find it curious because the man resembles Glynn Nickerson quite a bit, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I do.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Although we weren’t able to see his face, the hair color, and size of the man from the back did point to your friend, Mr. Nickerson.”
“I just can’t understand his motive.” Ashton raked his fingers through his hair. “Why would Glynn want to steal the government’s money, and when it was being delivered on our own train, no less?”
“It makes me wonder if he has something against the government.” She tilted her head, keeping Ashton’s stare. “By chance, do you know anything about why he would feel this way about our government, or about us sending money to help rebuild the old south?”
Ashton’s jaw grew hard as his gaze skimmed the crowd. He didn’t say anything for a few awkward minutes, and Nicole figured he was thinking. She hoped he could remember something about Nickerson’s life.
He sighed, blowing out a frustrated breath. “The fact of the matter is…I really don’t know that much about Glynn, and I know even less about Steve.” He grumbled, walked to a bench and sat. “When I was first interested in becoming a partner in the Conrail Railroad, I didn’t know my father had gone behind my back to bribe Glynn and Steve. Glynn had always been outgoing and friendly. Steve, on the other hand, was always distant. At first I’d wondered why Steve brought me on as a partner if he didn’t really want me, but then I convinced myself that Steve acted this way because that’s what kind of man he was.”
Nicole sat beside Ashton. “So Glynn never told you about his life?”
“Not really. He always seemed more interested in my life and wanting to know about me and my family.”
“What happened to make you discover your father had bribed them?”
Frowning, he shook his head and glanced at his knees. “It was just after my father’s funeral five months ago. I’d overheard Glynn and Steve in the office talking. They didn’t know I was there, because they didn’t think I’d return to work so soon after my father’s death.” He leaned his back against the wall of the building, and folded his arms. “They were discussing if they were going to keep me on. Steve was the one who’d mentioned something about my father bribing them. I remember feeling so angry I walked out of my office and surprised them. I told them that I was legally their partner in the railroad, and unless they bought out my shares, I wasn’t going to leave. Glynn had mumbled something about me being a good partner, because I had fresh ideas, but Steve never agreed with him.” He shrugged and met Nicole’s stare. “After that, nothing more was said, and nobody brought up the subject again.”
“Well,” she exhaled deeply, “let’s hope Mrs. Phelps or one of the other agents will be able to discover more about Nickerson and Larson. I agree with you that this man who stole the money today resembles Mr. Nickerson quite a bit.”
He slapped his knees and stood. “Do you think we should do more looking around, or should we head back to New York?”
“When does the train leave?” She rose to her feet, too.
Ashton pulled out his time-piece from his pocket and glanced at it. “In fifteen minutes.”
“Then I suppose we should board the train before it departs.”
Ashton studied her face in silence. His gaze skimmed over her face slowly, and then moved up to her hair. Slowly, the corners of his mouth stretched into a smile and he shook his head. “If you are trying to look like a boy, you need to stay in character.” His fingers brushed by the locks of hair that had fallen out of her boy’s cap.
Chuckling, she quickly stuffed the stray hair back into her cap. “Yeah, well…at least I didn’t lose my wig like you did.” She touched the crooked hair above his top lip. “And if you want to keep this mustache, you had better fix it.”
“True.” He adjusted the mustache. “Is that better?”
As she studied his handsome face, she couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not better, but at least it’s on straight.”
“What do you mean it’s not better?” He scowled.
“I happen to think you are more handsome without a mustache, and since it’s blonde, and you lost your blonde wig, it doesn’t match your hair at all.”
The anger lines in his face disappeared. Even the color in his eyes softened. He ripped off the mustache and stuck it in his coat pocket. “Well, um…shall we head back to the train now?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
They walked side by side in silence. If things were different between them, she’d suggest staying here in Virginia for an extra day and taking in a little sightseeing. But that really wouldn’t be proper since they weren’t married. And if her father found out—she’d never hear the end of it.
Ashton paid for their tickets and they boarded the train. He found two seats in the back of one of the cars that seemed disjointed from the others. Wearily, Nicole sat, and she knew she’d fall asleep during the ride back. But what she really wanted to do was cuddle with Ashton. Yet, he was still upset at her, she could tell. He was probably put out with her for following him this morning. She should feel that way about him since he was the one that didn’t inform her of his plans, yet he agreed they should work together to catch the thief.
Ashton relaxed in his chair and stared out the window. Nicole wanted his attention, but more than that, she want
ed his trust. If only she could gain it soon.
Gently, she placed her hand on his arm. “Ashton?”
His head snapped toward hers. “What?”
“Will you explain to me why you felt the need to come on this train to catch the thief without my help? I thought we had decided to work together.”
“We had, yes, but because of your setback, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“But Ashton, you didn’t even tell me about the money being on the train today.”
His heel began tapping in a quick rhythm and he was quiet for a few moments. “You are correct. I didn’t tell you.”
She really shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t stop the words from leaving her mouth. “Don’t you trust me to help you?”
Sighing heavily, he pushed his fingers through his hair. “Trust is a hard thing to gain once you’ve lost it.”
Frustration lodged in her throat as the pain from his words stung her eyes. “Yes, I’m aware of that, but why can’t you understand that I lied to you for a reason? I didn’t lie to you to make you upset. I lied to you because—”
“I know,” he snapped. “It was your job.”
“It’s still my job,” she whispered brokenly. “If my father hears that I have shared the truth with you, he might pull me from this case. I’m sure the other agents won’t want me to work with them because of what I’ve told you.”
“Do you expect me to give you a medal for being so valiant?”
Once again, his words were like a knife through the heart. She shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “No, I just want you to understand why I withheld the truth from you.”
“Yes, I know,” he grumbled, “but it doesn’t make it right. When I met you and was getting to know you, I thought I had finally met a woman who could be honest. Once I discovered you were not that woman, something inside me died.” His expression turned hard. “I’m sorry, Nicole, but I just can’t forgive and forget so easily.” He turned his head and peered out the window.
Tears leaked from her eyes and she turned her head away, wiping her moist cheeks. Had she really ruined her chance with him for good? Deep down inside her heart, she knew there must be a way to make him trust her again, and she’d find it no matter what obstacles were placed in front of her.
~*~
Opening the door to his house, he motioned his hand for Nicole to enter first. He followed her inside before closing the door behind him. He couldn’t believe how tired he felt, but it was more mental than physical. It took a lot of strain not to fall at her feet and beg her forgiveness. He knew he was being stubborn, and although he knew he should stick to his decision, seeing her cry made him weak in the worst way. Things were definitely different from when he had gotten his first heartache from an untrusting woman. Yet, he couldn’t cower. He must stay strong.
“Thank you for allowing me to stay here one more night,” Nicole said in a small voice.
He shrugged. “I’d assumed you probably didn’t pack your things and returned home since you followed me bright and early this morning.”
“No, I didn’t pack anything, but for certain I will leave tomorrow.” She moved to the steps and climbed one before looking at him from over her shoulder. “Don’t forget to check on Mr. Nickerson tomorrow to see if he has an injured arm.”
“Yes, I plan on doing that.” He nodded. “Have a good night.”
She took another step and then hesitated. The timeline wasn’t adding up. It finally hit her and she gasped, swinging around. “No, we can’t wait until tomorrow.”
Her eyes were wide with excitement once again. He had to admit, he really enjoyed seeing her this way. “Why not?”
“Because isn’t Mr. Nickerson supposed to be in Staten Island?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, there’s no way he could get back to Staten Island by now, but he could certainly be back to New York.”
Suddenly rejuvenated, he rushed to her and clasped her hand. “Yes, you are correct. We need to go to his townhouse tonight and wait for his return.”
“Tonight?”
“Is that all right? Or do you need to rest?”
She chuckled. “How can I rest now? Don’t you know I love this about my job? I love the adventure and suspense of capturing the villain.”
Seeing her smile made his heart skip a beat. “You know, I’m starting to experience the thrill of the expected capture as well. However,” he glanced down at his clothes, “let me go change first. I loathe these large clothes on me.”
“Do you need me to change?”
“I think you’ll be able to move around faster in those boy’s trousers. Do you have another pair?”
“No.” She frowned. “I took these from your stable boy.”
“Then don’t change. I won’t be very long.” He darted up the stairs to his room, excitement pumping in his blood with each step. This must be what Nicole felt right before catching a thief. The feeling was surreal, and he loved the enthusiasm coursing through his body. Perhaps this was why Nicole continued to be a spy…especially if she didn’t enjoy lying to people as she’d claimed before.
It didn’t take him long to change into his own clothes. He grabbed two of his overcoats and hurried back downstairs. Nicole waited for him in the sitting room wearing the same clothes she’d worn to the train station, but she had brushed her hair and fixed it back into the boy’s cap. Her face had even been washed, and as he neared her, he could smell her sweet fragrance of lilacs. She jumped up from the sofa and smiled.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I thought you’d like to wear this.” He held out one of his overcoats. “There’s a chill in the air tonight, and by wearing this, it hides your womanly figure.”
The corner of her mouth lifted higher than the other. “My womanly figure?”
He laughed and nodded as he helped her slip into the garment. “Yes. You’re wearing trousers which show more of your curves. You know, men usually aren’t as curvy as women.”
“I don’t know how accurate that statement is,” she said with a chuckle as she buttoned the coat. “I’ve seen a lot of men who are curvy.”
“True, but they don’t look like a woman.”
“You are right on that point.”
He grinned. “Let’s go now. We’ll take my horse. The animal will be quieter than a buggy.”
“I agree.”
Ashton led the way to the stable and saddled a different horse from when he’d taken one earlier. After mounting, he reached down and helped her climb behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he bit back a groan. Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea, after all. He’d definitely enjoy this ride, but he couldn’t let her know it.
After a few minutes of riding in silence, Ashton turned his head and said over his shoulder, “Nicole? What if Glynn isn’t at his townhouse?”
“If he’s not there, I think we should try to get inside and look around, anyway. We might discover something else that points to the train robberies.”
“What if we don’t?”
“Then we will just have to keep a close eye on him until we find something.”
He slid the palm of his hand over one of hers still wrapped around his waist, and squeezed. “Tell me honestly, do you believe it was Glynn?”
“I think he has a great motive for wanting to make you look like the thief. When I saw him running away from the train, I didn’t know if it was him because I couldn’t see his face, but he has the same shape and the same hair color.”
“Thanks for believing in me.” He squeezed her hand again.
“Ashton, this whole time I’ve had a hard time believing you were the thief. The other agents had you at the top of the list, but there was something in the back of my mind telling me it wasn’t you.”
He smiled. “What made you feel this way? Was it because we were…close?”
“I honestly don’t know. I just had a gut feeling that you were no
t the one we should be watching.”
It was still hard to think of her as a Secret Agent…a spy, and when he tried to wrap his mind around it, many questions popped into his head, confusing him. “Nicole? Have you ever gotten close to any of your other suspects?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, as close as we have gotten.”
Although he wanted to see her expression, he could feel her body’s reaction as she laid her head against his back. Her whole body relaxed as she cuddled closer. “No, Ashton. As you have figured, I had a part to play in the other cases I’ve been involved with. I knew right away who the suspects were, and although we didn’t have any proof to arrest them, they all had motives for doing what they did. But with you…”
She paused and he waited for her to say more. The seconds ticked by and his impatience was wearing thin, but he didn’t interrupt her. He needed to know what she was thinking.
“Ashton, you were the only one who I’ve had tender feelings for. You must remember that I was falling for you even before the agents were given this assignment.”
She said falling for you…but Ashton wondered if she was thinking about love. The thought had crossed his mind several times while in her company, so why wouldn’t she have the same feelings as he had? But forcing her to say those words would be useless, especially when he couldn’t return those feelings. Especially now.
“I’m glad to know that,” he finally said after a few quiet moments. At least his mind could rest knowing that Nicole wasn’t some kind of hussy—a woman who liked to tease men for sport. He figured she probably had batted her eyes at these suspects, but he didn’t think she would kiss them.
At least he hoped his feelings were right on that account.
It didn’t take long before they were approaching Glynn’s townhouse. Ashton slowed his horse to a slow trot. “That’s where he lives,” he told Nicole over his shoulder.
“The lights are off, so he’s either not there or he’s gone to bed.”
“I’ve never known Glynn to retire for the night this early. In all the stories he relates of his night life, he’s always out until the wee hours of the morning.”
