“What woman?”
“One of those gals who worked for Velvet or Rosalie. I can’t remember.”
“The one they found nailed to the outhouse?” Her breath seemed to hang in her throat while she waited for his answer.
“You heard about that?” He shook his balding head.
“Yes. Please. Tell me what you know.”
“Don’t know much, but I recollect her name now. That gal was called Dottie. This was a different one. I heard say she was Monty’s favorite, so it don’t make any sense that he’d hurt her, but sometimes it’s hard to understand why folks do the things they do, ain’t it?”
Lilly felt as if she were running in circles. She was getting nowhere fast with this man. “That is strange. Why do they suspect him?”
“Well, he’s a regular down at the houses.”
“Regular?” Lilly was so eager to learn more about the man that she wasn’t concentrating on what the clerk was saying.
“You know,” the grocer said, his face turning bright red. “He went to one place or another from time to time to find his pleasure.”
Lilly regarded him expectantly, waiting for more. “So, Monty goes to the houses to find his pleasure,” she prompted, stifling the urge to reach across the counter and give the man a good shaking.
“Right. But word is he didn’t. Couldn’t.”
Didn’t? Couldn’t? “I don’t understand.”
The merchant shook his head. “Please, don’t make me spell it out for you, ma’am.”
It hit Lilly then just what he meant. Oh, dear! From her experience hearing her mother with her lovers and her own experience with Tim . . . Well, she had never imagined that a man . . .
“I don’t think this is a proper conversation to be having with a young woman like you.”
Good grief! He was worried about her sensibilities! Once, Lilly would have agreed with him, but this was different. She was different. This was a serious case to be solved, and for all intents and purposes, she was not an innocent young woman.
Relying on her acting skills, she gave a throaty laugh. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m not the unsophisticated woman you think I am. I’m one of ‘those women.’ In fact, my friend is here to see if opening The Thirsty Traveler again would be a good business decision.”
“All right, all right. But you don’t go tellin’ anyone what I say, ya hear? I don’t want no trouble.”
“My lips are sealed.” At least until she got back to Dusty’s.
He threw back his shoulders and drew in a fortifying breath. “Like I was sayin’, scuttlebutt has it that Monty can’t . . . perform.”
Despite what she’d heard about the stranger, she felt a rush of sympathy for him. What a terrible thing to be bandied about by everyone in town.
“It didn’t matter what girl he chose, he just couldn’t uh . . . carry out his task. Problem was, he had to pay for the time he spent with them, anyway. Everyone said he got real mad and blamed the women. They started worryin’ about what he might do, and the madams stopped making the girls take him upstairs.” The clerk shrugged. “It wasn’t enough to hurt business, so they just cut him off. Then this new curly-haired blond gal come along, and he seemed to take a real shine to her.”
Lilly’s heart sank. Nora! “Do you know her name?”
“Nah. She came in a few times. Seemed nice. Real pretty and seemed almost smart. For a whore.”
The insensitive label sent Lilly’s fury soaring.
“Pardon me, ma’am,” he said, realizing his blunder. “No slight intended.”
“None taken,” Lilly lied, her head reeling.
“Her and Monty musta hit it off real good,” the shopkeeper said. “It sorta makes sense now when I look back at it.”
“What makes sense?” Lilly was having a terrible time following his thought process.
“Well, I heard she wasn’t too happy about bein’ here, and she even tried to run once, but Wilkins caught her and brought her back.”
“Elijah Wilkins?”
“Yeah. You know him?”
“We’ve met.”
“Then you probably know that he not only finds and sells for a lot of the houses in the Acre, but he’s the enforcer, too.”
The word conjured up images she would rather not have envisioned. Images like Wilkins nailing a woman to an outhouse. . . and turning Nora over to a gang of cowboys. She wanted to ask the grocer if he knew anything about what had happened to her friend after Nora had helped to get the children out of town, but she couldn’t without destroying her cover story.
“What did you mean when you said it made a lot of sense for them to spend so much time together?”
“Well, her wanting to get away and Monty with his problem. . . Maybe there was something else between them.” When Lilly looked at him questioningly, he lifted his narrow shoulders in a shrug. “Maybe she didn’t mind his problem, since it meant she got a break from her work. All I know for sure is that they spent a lot of time together.”
“Have you seen her lately?”
“No. She’s the one everyone thinks Monty killed.”
* * *
It took every bit of acting skill Lilly possessed to pay for her purchases without breaking into tears. Out on the street, she lifted her face to the sky and drew in deep breaths while she fought the urge to fall onto the board walkway and give her grief free rein. Or maybe kick the posts supporting the overhang. It wasn’t fair or right that someone who wanted nothing but a home and family had come to such a wretched end.
She walked back to Dusty’s in a grief-induced haze, while the times she’d spent with Nora before she’d left the Pierced Rose Troupe flashed through her mind one after the other.
Those times were gone for good.
Thankful that no one was stirring when she got back to the boardinghouse, Lilly headed straight for the kitchen to replenish the fire, make the coffee, and put some eggs on to boil. She was fighting to hold back the tears and memories while she sliced and buttered the leftover bread when Cade came into the room and peeked over her shoulder. “No meat?”
“No.” Her voice was sharper than it should have been, and that made her teary, too. She sniffed and blinked hard. “It’s too expensive to have every day. Pierce says you get the same nutrition from eggs that you do from meat.”
“Then I hope you’re boiling plenty.”
She refused to look up from her task, fearful that any small bit of kindness would send her into a fit of caterwauling. He poured himself some coffee and leaned against the table, sipping the dark brew and watching her. She knew it wouldn’t take him long to figure out that something was wrong.
“Why’ve you been crying, lass?”
Lass, not colleen. McShane’s way of showing sensitivity toward her. And why was it that his Irish brogue seemed more pronounced when he spoke tenderly? His gentleness was her undoing. The misery she’d tried so hard to hold in check spilled over, and tears ran down her cheeks.
Moving slowly, she laid the knife aside, and turned to face him. More than anything in the world, she wanted him to put his arms around her and let her cry out her sorrow against his chest. But, of course, he didn’t. She’d laid down the rules, after all.
“Nora’s dead.”
He didn’t move for several seconds. “Are ya sure?”
She nodded and swiped her fingertips across her cheeks.
“Who told you?”
“The grocer.”
With a little push of his hips, he straightened and set his cup onto the worktable. He set the eggs off the stove and refilled her cup. “Let’s sit,” he said, handing her the mug. “And you can tell me everything.”
Minutes later, they were seated at one of the tables near the bar. She related the incident with Monty Newton and told Cade what the clerk had said about Monty and the murdered woman.
“Are you sure he didn’t take anything?” Cade asked.
She wiped at her tears with her handkerchief. “It lo
oked as if he was going to grab something out of it, but there was only butter and peaches in it, and it was all there.”
Cade frowned. “It doesn’t make sense for him to grab the basket and not take it, or at least steal something from it.”
“Maybe I scared him when I yelled.” It was as much question as statement.
“Maybe.” But he didn’t look convinced.
She took a sip of her coffee while watching her partner’s changing facial expressions. “What now?”
He pulled himself away from wherever his thoughts had taken him and met her gaze. “Did the grocer say how she died? I mean, wasn’t she recovering from an assault?”
“Yes, she was.” Lilly gave her head an angry shake. “He didn’t say, and I was so upset I didn’t ask. All I could think of was getting out of there with my dignity intact.”
“Never you mind. Someone will tell us.” He reached out and touched her hand with a single fingertip. The action brought her head up until their gazes met. “I want you to know that I’m very sad about Nora. Losing someone you care about is hard. I also know you’re going to be angry as well as sad, and that rage can make you do stupid things. Don’t.”
She knew he was referring to his actions after his wife’s death. She nodded in compliance. “Thank you. I’ll try to keep my wits about me. So where do we go from here?”
He wrapped his hands around his cup and stared at a spot across the way, as if he were collecting his thoughts. “Well, we came to find Nora and take her back home, and we wanted to help bring down Wilkins for the ploy he’s using to get his hands on new women.
“The fact that Nora is dead makes this a murder investigation,” Cade continued. “We need to remember that there’s a chance her killer is someone different from the mail-order bride mastermind. Like this Monty character.”
“You don’t think it was Wilkins?”
“I’m saying that at this point we can’t be sure of anything. We need more information.”
“I agree, but how will we ever find out anything?” Lilly asked. “These people cover for one another, and the doves are afraid to say too much for fear of paying the price. I’m not even sure I trust the marshal.”
He smiled. “I didn’t say it would be easy, lass, but people make mistakes. They say and do things to incriminate themselves without realizing it. We need to be vigilant and watch for every little thing. Shakespeare got it right in Hamlet.”
When Lilly frowned at him in confusion, he said, “ ‘For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak . . .’ It’s been my experience that murder victims speak to you from the grave, if you only listen.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“You need to think back over everything Nora said to you the night you had dinner together,” he told Lilly.
“That was months ago.”
“I know, but you may recall something. Anything. And we need to read her letter again, and see if there’s anything we missed that might point us in a new direction.”
“We do the same thing we’ve been doing, only harder.”
“That’s a good way of putting it. One point we need to remember: We’re working on two different cases. Who’s behind the bridal fraud, and who killed your friend.”
“I hadn’t thought about it in that way.”
“My gut tells me that the two will overlap in some way, since the people in the Acre are united in their desire to protect what they have.” He shook his head in disgust. “They all have a sort of mutually beneficial arrangement with one another. Almost incestuous.”
Incestuous. Leave it to the experienced agent to put things into perspective. It was a good word for the relationships that bound the residents of the Acre to one another, all so that they could continue to exploit women and children to make the almighty dollar. You scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours. Pay me, and I’ll leave you alone. Need something; I’ll get it. Look the other way so my legitimate business will thrive.
The list went on. To find out who murdered Nora they needed to find out who, if anyone, besides Velvet, had anything against her. Should Monty be at the top of the list?
“I guess we start with Monty. According to the grocer, the town is split between those who think he’s the killer—even though there’s no evidence against him—and those who say he could never hurt anyone.”
“Then we need to see what we can find out,” Cade said. “As for the brides, I’m betting Wilkins is in it neck deep.”
“I agree. I wanted to ask the shopkeeper if he knew anything about Nora’s helping the children, but I figured that was something I shouldn’t know about.”
“You figured right. Be very careful, Lilly. It will only take one small misstep to bring this whole case down around our ears.” He emptied his cup. “So, we follow our plan and try to get evidence,” Cade continued. “The last I heard, you can’t put anyone in jail on hearsay and supposition, no matter how nasty he may be.”
“Why do you think Monty Newton is following me?”
“I’m not sure, but I can make an educated guess. Nora’s letter to you said she had help from a friend. She also said that she hoped to look up one day and see you coming through the door.”
“Did I tell you that he seemed to recognize me when he came into Velvet’s?”
“No, but if he did, it’s probably because she told him you’d be coming, and asked him to keep a watch out for you. That’s what he’s doing. Maybe he’s following you to try to find a way to contact you.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, either,” Lilly admitted. “But I have considered the possibility that he’s the friend who helped her get the kids out of town, and that he knew about the letter. He may have even sent it.”
“It makes sense.”
“So, you don’t think he’s dangerous.”
“Good morning.”
The sound of Erin’s voice stalled whatever answer he was about to make. Fully dressed, she was coming down the stairs, a quizzical expression on her face. “What are you two looking so serious about?”
“Lilly found out some valuable information at the grocer’s this morning.”
“Oh?”
“First, it seems pretty certain that her friend is dead.”
Erin uttered a mild curse.
“And there’s some speculation as to who did it.”
“Well, you can tell me over breakfast. I’m starving this morning.”
“Oh! I’ll get it!” Lilly said, rising. “It won’t take but a minute.”
“I’ll help.”
Surprisingly, the offer came from Cade. “I can slice the peaches while you get the eggs.”
Lilly didn’t feel like arguing, not when they’d been getting along so well. Besides, she was getting hungry, too, and many hands made light work, as Rose often said.
In the kitchen, she took a wooden spoon, lifted the eggs from the hot water, and placed them in a brown crockery bowl. She cut the buttered bread slices in half and arranged them on a white stoneware platter.
“Shall I slice some cheese?” she asked, casting a glance over her shoulder at Cade, who was sniffing a peach.
“That would be nice,” he said. “D’ya want me to peel the peaches or leave them?”
“I don’t mind the skin, but you do whatever you like with yours and Erin’s.”
She set about slicing the cheese while Cade did the same with the peach. “Hm,” he exclaimed. “What the devil is this?”
He reached into the basket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“Where did you find that?”
“It was under one of the peaches.” He handed it to her. “I have a feeling it was intended for you.”
She unfolded the note. The message was simple; the penmanship was exquisite.
MEET ME BEHIND DUSTY’S TONIGHT AT TEN.
She handed it to Cade. “He wants me to meet him out back at ten tonight.”
Cade pointed the knife at her and shook his head. “Oh, no. I don’t
think so. The man is a potential killer.”
“He may want to tell me something about Nora’s death, McShane. Maybe he knows who killed her. Surely he wouldn’t try anything right at my back door.”
“And maybe he would. That’s the problem with killers, lass. They don’t think the way we do, and they don’t have a sign hanging around their necks proclaiming to the world what they are. Besides, how do you know Monty wrote it?”
“Of course, he wrote it. He put it in the basket,” she said, but even as she spoke the words, doubts began to surface. It certainly wasn’t farfetched to think that he’d been the go-between for someone else.
Cade held the paper aloft and shook it. “Did ya notice the writing, lass? Do ya really think someone with his mental aptitude can write like this?”
That was an excellent point. “Then why can’t you be just inside the door, listening? That would be safe enough, wouldn’t it? No matter who shows up?”
Instead of answering, he turned and began to slice the second peach. Lilly waited.
“You win,” he said in a resigned tone. “I’ll agree to that.”
“Thank you.” She exhaled a sigh of relief. It was comforting to know that he’d be nearby in case something went wrong. Then she smiled. “This could be our big opportunity.”
“It could. But I intend for us to have a plan. And you will not pull any dimwitted stunts to try to be the woman of the hour. D’ya ken what I’m saying?”
“I do,” she told him meekly. “Now, let’s go tell Erin what’s happened.”
They showed Erin the note, explained who Monty was, and ate their simple breakfast.
“I think I’ve seen that man. I’m certain he passed me and Eli while we were walking around town last night.” She perked up suddenly. “Yes! Marshal Davies stopped him, and they talked a while. Then the man went into one of the saloons down the street. I don’t know how long he was there. Eli and I went into the Silver Slipper for a drink.”
“Does he look like a killer to you, Erin?” Lilly asked.
Lilly didn’t know if it was a trick of the light or if the color drained from the other woman’s face. “Most killers don’t look like killers,” she said, verifying Cade’s statement.
Murder Will Speak Page 11
