It sounded like something Nora would do.
Warming to her topic, Bonnie began to speak again. “The good Lord knows we need any kind of hope we can latch on to. The girls started refusing certain customers, defying the madams when they thought they could get away with it.” She laughed. “I called it the Nora Rebellion.”
“What happened?”
“Velvet let her go. Of course, no one else wanted her working for them, so she managed to get out, which is what she wanted. She moved in with one of her regulars. Not long after that, a kid from one of the other places just walked away. He walked down the middle of the train tracks and didn’t get out of the way of the 2:10. He left a note behind that said he was going to go away and start over somewhere, just like Nora said they should.”
Even though she knew from Nora’s letter that children were being sold, too, Lilly gasped at hearing one had died trying to get away.
Bonnie peered into the depths of her coffee mug. “Eli brought in some more kids soon after that. It was the last straw for Nora. She was like a woman on a mission. Her whole purpose in life was to see the Acre shut down.
“She’d walk up and down the street with her Bible, telling anyone who’d listen that only a depraved person would force innocent children into such a dreadful life. She stood on the street corners and lectured about fornication and adultery and the wages of sin. . . .”
Hearing how militant her friend had become was a surprise. Lilly hadn’t known that Nora was so vocal in her belief. No wonder she’d been silenced.
“She was a fighter,” Bonnie said, smiling at the memories. “She put up signs at all the legal businesses saying that the Acre was a cesspool of evil and wickedness and should be shut down. She’d even march inside and tell the owners they should stand behind her.”
Oh, Nora! You foolish, foolish girl!
“B. B. wrote a couple of articles about what a great thing she was doing, and he put out a plea, asking for help from anyone who might know about the children and where they were being held.”
Lilly held her hands up, palms out to pause Bonnie’s story. “Wait. Who’s B. B.?”
“B. B. Paddock. The managing editor of the Fort Worth Democrat. He’s all about making Ft. Worth grow, and he doesn’t have much use for the district. He’s done his best to try to put things right by printing rabble-rousing editorials now and then.”
“I don’t imagine that went over very well.”
Bonnie chuckled. “You imagine right. Between B. B. and Nora, Davies had no choice but to do his job. So, like the good lawman he claims to be, he arrested a couple dozen women, and, as usual, they were out of jail by noon the next day.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Maybe so,” Bonnie said. “But it’s how things work around here. Then, just to prove he was doing a good job, Davies went out to Eli’s to look and see if he was hiding any kids there. Of course, he didn’t find a thing.”
“Do you think they’d been there?”
“If you’re asking if I have evidence of anything, the answer is no. If you want to know what I think, then I’d tell you that my gut says yes. Eli’s got this dump out at the edge of town, and he’s hardly ever there, so it’s an ideal spot to stash a couple of kids until he can get a deal arranged.”
“Deal?”
“Yeah. He sells to the highest bidder. We heard there was a bidding war going on between at least three of the houses for those poor kids. Thank God, Nora got them out of town before that happened.”
Lilly was having a hard time processing everything Bonnie was telling her. She’d never thought of her sparkling, fun-loving friend as militant in any way, yet Nora had run a small revolution for good in one of the worst areas in Texas. Lilly felt a glimmer of hope. Since none of the madams had made a deal for the children, it was possible that none of them had been molested before Nora got them away from this hellhole.
“I imagine Mr. Wilkins was furious.”
“All hell broke loose. No one knew what had happened. Anyone with half a brain figured it was Nora, but no one had seen a thing.” Bonnie paused. “You know, now that I think about it, I guess it could have been any of the women, considering how riled up everyone was.” She grinned at Lilly. “I don’t suppose we’ll ever be sure, but my bet’s on Nora.”
Lilly knew Nora had been behind the escape, but since she was supposed to be ignorant of the whole affair, there was nothing she could tell Bonnie. “How on earth could she manage that?”
Bonnie shrugged. “No one knows. Everyone agrees that if it was her, she had to have had help.”
“Do you think it was the man she was living with?”
“Monty? He’s not bad to look at, and he’s sweet in his own way, but he’s not smart enough to help with anything that complicated.”
“What happened to Nora?” Lilly probed.
“Things were quiet for a few days, but it felt like something was about to happen, if you know what I mean. Like the calm before the storm you always hear about. That’s about the time that Dottie was found hanging on the outhouse wall.”
Lilly’s eyes widened. “A warning to Nora—or whomever—that they could be next?”
“That’s what I think. Let me tell you, everyone was on edge after that.” Bonnie’s eyes took on a haunted look. “I mean, things happen to whores all the time. You sort of get used to it, you know? But this was different. It put the fear of God in everyone.”
It certainly put the fear of God in Lilly.
“Then a few days after the kids escaped, a gang of cowboys ambushed Nora in an alley.” Bonnie gave a little shudder of horror. “I can’t imagine what she went through.”
Nor could Lilly. Once again, horrific images paraded through her mind.
“When she didn’t come home, Monty got worried and went looking for her. When he found her, she was in a real bad way, but he got her to his place somehow and did his best to put her back together. She came around a few days later and told Monty she wanted to talk to the marshal, so Monty went and got him.”
Lilly placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. The information she was getting from Bonnie was invaluable. She couldn’t wait to tell McShane and Erin and get their impressions of the story.
“Monty told everyone that she told Sam she knew who was behind her attack. He said he’d look into it, and, two days later, when Monty got back from work, she was dead.”
“She just didn’t make it?”
“No, she was recovering okay. She might have made it if it weren’t for the bullet to the head.”
CHAPTER 15
Thankfully, Erin came downstairs soon after Bonnie’s gruesome announcement. Lilly needed some time to process everything she’d been told, which was a lot. She told Bonnie good-bye and excused herself so that the two women could talk privately.
Both women were gone when Lilly came back downstairs. Although Erin didn’t seem at all concerned about spending time alone with Elijah Wilkins, Lilly couldn’t stop the nagging worry that cropped up whenever she thought of them alone, together. She’d seen evil up close when she’d come face-to-face with Preston Easterling earlier in the year. The expression in Wilkins’s eyes bore a strong resemblance.
She’d just boiled a potato with the jacket on for lunch and was sitting down to eat it with more of the brown bread and cheese when she heard someone at the back door. Had Bonnie forgotten something? Taking the napkin from her lap, Lilly went to answer the door, a smile on her face, ready to greet her new friend.
The door swung wide, and her smile disappeared. All thought of joking fled as she gaped in disbelief at the man standing there, his eyes wild and his hair standing on end.
Monty Newton.
Everything good Bonnie had told her about Nora’s rescuer was forgotten while Cade’s fears and warnings whirled in Lilly’s mind. She and the little man stared at each other for long seconds. She was afraid to speak. Almost afraid to breathe.
When the alleged murderer spok
e, he said only, “Are you Nora’s Lilly?”
* * *
After a morning spent just looking around the Acre, Cade headed to the Gentleman’s Corner, hoping to find a good game and some new information. The popular Ft. Worth saloon, which was located on a busy corner outside the Acre, was everything he’d heard it was.
Large cream-colored medallions, reminiscent of ancient coats of arms, were scattered over the sage-green wallpaper. On the wall behind the bar, on either side of a huge mirror proclaiming the name of the establishment, fancy sideboards shelved the liquor and beer spigots. Signage promoting popular lagers hung here and there, and a wall clock to help the gamblers and drinkers keep track of the time was placed in a place of prominence.
The elbow-high bar boasted five decorative corbels, which were good for little besides adding interest and class to what would otherwise be a plain front. A copper footrail bordered the base, and polished copper spittoons were placed at strategic points along the bar’s length.
A glass case ensured freshness for a variety of cigars—everything from American made in the south to Philly-produced Spanish “segars,” crafted from the most excellent Cuban tobacco, to the ever-popular Havanas, which discriminating smokers had been enjoying since Cuba had been opened to international trade in 1821.
The prized cigars, which were shipped from St. Iago, Cuba, were usually packaged in boxes of 1,000, 500, or 250, and shipped in wooden crates of 5,000 or more. Knowing that many saloons and eating establishments offered their customers a choice of smokes at little to no cost, Cade wandered over to have a look at the offerings.
“Help yourself,” the barman said, swirling a spotless cloth across the counter’s shiny surface.
“Thanks.”
The barkeep slung the towel over his shoulder. “New in town or just passing through?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Cade said, picking up one of the cigars and passing it beneath his nose. Deciding that if it tasted as good as it smelled, it would do, he bit off the end and spat it into the spittoon sitting near his foot. Then he took a match from a holder, struck it on the sole of his boot, and lifted it to his cigar, puffing on it until the end glowed red.
Nice.
“Beer?”
He only hesitated a moment. “That would be grand.”
“You’re not from around here,” the waiter said, as he drew a mug of dark beer.
“No.” Cade took another pull on the tobacco and blew a stream of smoke toward the ceiling. “I’m from Chicago. I work for a lady who may want to reopen Dusty Knowles’s old place in the Acre. A special friend gave her the place.”
“Lucky lady.”
“Time will tell.”
The man grinned. “Bouncer, are you?” He set the beer down on the counter.
“It’s that obvious, is it?”
“Only if you know this business as well as I do. I’d heard someone was in town checking things out. What’s holding her back?”
Cade drew on his smoke. “She’s a pretty smart woman and has done all right for herself, but she wanted to come have a look and see if she wants to try this, or just leave well enough alone. Chicago can get mighty rough, but from what we’ve seen and heard since we’ve been here, it seems tame compared to the Acre.”
The bartender laughed. “I won’t deny that it’s bad from time to time, but some of the things are exaggerated, believe me.”
“That’s nice to know.”
“She could always fix it up and sell it.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Cade said with a considering nod.
“It’s something to consider. A lot of fellas with plenty of money come through here, and I hear them saying they’d like to have their own place, but they don’t want to take the time or deal with the headaches of renovating.”
“I’ll mention it to her. Selling might appeal to her more than reopening. Like I said, she’s heard a couple of things that made her uneasy.”
“Don’t tell me. Let me guess,” the barkeep said. “Dottie. She’s the whore they nailed to the outhouse wall, and then there was that other one that was raped by some rowdies in an alley and left to die.”
“That’s it.”
“I heard about both of those incidents,” the bartender said. “You can’t keep much secret in a neighborhood that’s as connected as the Acre is. I’ve been here six years, and I’ve seen some guys drink too much and get mad, and I’ve seen them get mean and uncontrollable, but what was done to those two is something else. That’s nothing but pure evil.”
“I’d have to agree.” Cade set out a theory to see if he could get any new information. “It doesn’t take much. Get a bunch of cowboys together who’ve been in the saddle too long, give them something to drink, and they lose whatever decency they had. A pretty girl comes along, and the next thing you know you’ve got a woman raped repeatedly and left fer dead.” He took another puff of the cigar and slouched against the counter. “D’ya think they’ll ever find out who did it?”
“The gang of men, no. She was in too bad a shape to tell the marshal anything at first, so they were probably long gone. There wasn’t much he could do. There are some who say the man who found her in the alley finished her off.”
“I’ve heard that, too, but I’m not buying it.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Why would the poor devil save her and nurse her back to health only to kill her?”
“That’s a good point.” The man shrugged. “She’d really been stirring everybody up. Maybe it was one of the locals who was upset over her trying to change the status quo. Who knows?”
“Who knows?” Cade repeated. It was something to think about. Every comment, every fact he learned had the potential to lead him down a trail that would lead him to Nora’s killer. No tidbit of information was too small to reject.
“Now Dottie’s a whole other mystery,” the server said.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“No one knows who killed her, either, and some folks think it was one of the madams. Or one of the girls.”
“Surely the competition can’t be that stiff.”
“The brothel owners are very protective of their girls, and they believe in payback for any perceived disloyalty.”
“And how does this relate to this Dottie?”
“So, a while back, Dottie and another dove got into it over some man they were both convinced was going to carry them off to a new life.”
Cade feigned surprise, though he’d heard of it happening. “Does that happen much?”
“Now and again,” the barkeep said. “Some of the ranches are pretty far from town, and a man likes a little female company, so they’ll marry one of the girls and they’re both happy.
“Anyhow, the two girls got into it on the street one evening, and the next thing you know they got to rollin’ around in the dust like a couple of danged cowboys, screaming and gouging eyes and pulling hair. Dottie, the one who got killed, bit a chunk out of Millie’s chin, so scuttlebutt has it that Millie killed her for revenge.”
“What’s your opinion?”
“If Millie killed her, she had to have had some help. She’s a little bit of a thing. There’s no way she could have nailed Dottie to a wall without help.”
Cade sipped his beer, wondering if he would ever stop being surprised by the depths of depravity people could sink to. Was there anything too heinous for them to do to one another? “So, you don’t think it was Velvet or Rosalie behind that killing?”
“It’s hard to say. I do know they hate each other. Always have.”
“Why is that?”
“Elijah Wilkins. He supplies for them both. He supplies for almost every place in town, so things get a little strained now and again over perceived unfair treatment.”
“Sounds like he’s playing a dangerous game.”
“Definitely. But on the other hand, he’s got a pretty good thing going.”
Yes, he did, Cade thought. Figuring he�
�d gotten all the information he could about the events surrounding Nora’s death without arousing any suspicions, he turned his back to the bar and leaned against it. “Are there any good games in the back?”
“There are always games in the back,” the bartender said.
Cade paid for his beer, lifted his cigar in a little salute, and picked up his mug. “Thanks for the cigar. And the talk.”
“I hope it helps your boss make her decision.”
“I’m sure it will.”
CHAPTER 16
Lilly stood staring at the man believed to have killed her friend, her mind racing. Bonnie had given her a new perspective on the kind of man Monty was, but Lilly was having a hard time totally discounting the fact that many people in town thought he’d killed Nora. What was he doing here? She didn’t realize she’d spoken the question aloud until she heard him saying, “I saw everyone leave, and I thought now would be a good time.”
A good time for what? Murder? The random thought ran through her mind before she could stop it.
“I see.” Well, that made sense if you wanted to meet with someone alone. Perhaps Monty Newton was smarter than anyone realized.
“I need to know if you’re Lilly, Nora’s friend.”
“Why?” she asked, buying time. For what, she didn’t know. She had no idea when Cade or Erin would be back.
“If you’re Nora’s friend, I’m the one who helped her get the letter posted. She told me you’d be coming to help her. She said you were terrible smart and pretty and that you had red hair. She wanted me to watch out for you. Are you her?”
Despite his rambling, Lilly’s fears began to ease. There was no menace in his eyes or his demeanor. His stance was tense, but in no way threatening.
“Yes, I’m Nora’s friend.”
Relief replaced the anxiety in his eyes, and he looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his narrow shoulders. “What took you so long to get here? Nora’s dead.”
“I came as soon as I could,” Lilly said, deciding it wouldn’t do any good to go into a lengthy explanation. “I heard about Nora. Can you tell me what happened?”
Murder Will Speak Page 13
