by Laura Beers
Not willing to discuss her previous conversation with him, Darcy inquired, “Is there something I can help you with?”
Dustin shook his head. “No, ma’am.” He tipped his hat at her. “I hope you have a good day.”
Darcy watched as Dustin closed the door behind him. Both conversations seemed strange, and it left her with an uneasy feeling. She sighed at her thoughts. She was a Pinkerton agent. She would not be coerced or frightened. After all, she knew that Porter’s plan would involve risks to lure out the murderer, and she was prepared.
Her mind barely registered the sound of boots approaching her from behind before everything went black.
Porter jogged up the few steps of Adam’s house and opened the kitchen door. When he didn’t see Darcy in the kitchen, he shouted, “Darcy!”
He stopped and waited for her response. When none was forthcoming, he started searching the house for her. Where was she? Did she go back to their cottage?
He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stormed out of the kitchen and raced to their cottage. When he slammed opened the door, he found no evidence of Darcy. He stepped out onto their porch and yelled, “Darcy!”
This morning, they had held hands as he walked her to Adam’s house before he started his shift. They had parted on good terms, so he knew she wouldn’t have left on her own accord. Which meant someone had taken her. But who?
John came to his mind. Porter sprinted down the steps, and his eyes scanned the surrounding buildings and corrals. He was not a man to be trifled with under most circumstances, and someone was foolish enough to have snatched his wife right from under him. Only this person did not know what great lengths he was willing to go to get Darcy back.
In a short period of time, Darcy had become the most important thing in his world, and he had no intention of letting her go. He planned to confess his feelings to Darcy as soon as this case was over and truly make her his wife.
Porter’s eyes landed on John as he walked near the bunkhouse. Storming across the yard, he didn’t stop until he shoved John against the side of the bunkhouse. He pulled out his revolver and placed it under John’s chin.
“Where is my wife?” he growled.
“How would I know?” John defended, his voice shaking with fear. “When I left her at the house, she was perfectly fine.”
He cocked his pistol. “Wrong answer. My wife is missing. You have five seconds to tell me where she is.”
“I don’t know!” John exclaimed. “I tried to warn her.”
“Warn her about what?” he asked, pressing the barrel deeper into John’s skin.
“Porter! What do you think you are doing?” Adam shouted as he ran closer to them. “Put down your weapon.”
“No,” Porter contended. “This is the man that killed your wife!”
Adam’s eyes lit up with rage as he charged between them, pushing Porter out of the way. Swinging back his fist, Adam punched John in the stomach and then his jaw.
John fell back against the bunkhouse and put his hands up in front of him to protect himself. “You have it all wrong. I didn’t kill Amanda. I loved her!”
“She was my wife,” Adam stated. “Or did you forget that?”
“No, I did not forget that,” John replied, annoyance in his tone. “She chose you because you had a nice spread, and I was only a cowhand.”
“Amanda loved me,” Adam said firmly.
John shook his head. “No, she did not. She loved me!”
Porter grabbed a fist full of John’s shirt and yanked him towards him. “If you loved her so much, then why did you kill her?”
“I didn’t kill her,” John defended. “Are you not listening to anything that I said?”
“You don’t seem surprised by the fact that Amanda was murdered,” Porter pointed out.
John’s eyes grew pensive. “She wasn’t supposed to die.”
Loosening his grip on John’s shirt, he ordered, “Explain.”
“No, I’m not saying nothing,” John spat out.
Porter shoved John back against the bunkhouse. “Let’s string him up. He admitted to knowing about Amanda’s death.”
“I’ll get the rope,” Adam agreed.
But before he took his first step, John shouted, “No! Wait! Let me explain.”
“You have one minute.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest.
“Dustin had acquired some arsenic because of the rats in the barn,” John attempted to say. “Somehow it must have gotten into Amanda’s tea and…”
Adam grunted in disgust. “We are wasting our time. I’m getting the rope.”
“Wait!” John took a step towards Adam, and Porter slammed him against the bunkhouse.
Porter put his forearm to John’s throat. “It’s illegal to purchase arsenic. So save us your lies and tell us the truth before I lose my patience.”
John’s eyes grew fearful. “Somehow Dustin obtained the arsenic, and he wanted to kill Mr. McCoy.” He shifted his gaze towards Adam. “But Amanda refused to kill you, and Dustin accused her of betraying him.”
“Amanda betraying Dustin?” Adam questioned. “You aren’t making any sense.”
Surprised by this turn of events, Porter removed his forearm from John’s throat. “Start from the beginning.”
John tenderly rubbed his neck before saying, “Over two months ago, Amanda found a cave in the valley, a cave that was filled with gold. She rushed to tell Dustin and me.”
“Even if that was true,” Adam probed, “why did she tell you and Dustin about this cave? Why not me?”
“Amanda begged you to leave the ranch and travel to see the world,” John explained, “but you refused. You refused all her requests to leave this god-forsaken town.”
“Of course, I refused. I had a ranch to run!” Adam shouted, tossing his arms up in the air.
“Amanda hated it here and was aching to leave,” John huffed.
Adam’s hands balled up into fists as he explained, “Once she was with child, she would have settled down and been content.”
“Amanda married you because you were the richest man in the territory. She wanted adventure, and you locked her up in a ranch in the middle of nowhere,” John stated in disgust. “You stifled her, and she resented you for it.”
Porter frowned as he saw the crestfallen look on Adam’s face and realized that John had spoken the truth. “If you had the gold mine, then why did you start killing the cowhands? Why not just mine the gold?”
“Dustin killed them,” John stated. “He got gold fever something fierce and spent all of his free time at the mine.”
“You are trying to blame Dustin for everything,” Adam accused.
“No, it’s true,” John contended. “Six weeks ago, Trevor caught Dustin in the valley with a lantern and a chisel. He killed him. That is when he hatched the plan to force you away from the valley.” He glared at Adam. “Unfortunately, you refused to take the warning, and Dustin had to kill more people to keep our secret.”
Adam clenched his jaw so tightly that a muscle pulsated under his ear. “And Amanda went along with all of this.”
John looked forlorn. “No. She was against it and even threatened to tell the sheriff if Dustin didn’t stop killing.”
Porter lifted his brow. “How did Dustin respond to that threat?”
“I had no idea that he planned to kill her. I swear it!” John defended himself. “Amanda was kind enough to make us dinner the night she died, and I even boiled the water for her tea. Dustin put the arsenic in the sugar container and brought it to her. Amanda kept dumping more and more into her tea, saying it wasn’t sweet enough. Dustin kept her distracted by talking, so she didn’t realize it wasn’t really sugar.”
Porter closed his eyes. “If it was arsenic, then she wouldn’t have detected any change in flavor.”
“Exactly,” John replied. “The next day, I went in to say good morning, and I found her sprawled out on the ground.”
“And you just left he
r?” Adam grunted.
“I had no choice. I confronted Dustin about it, and he denied it at first,” John said. “However, he threatened to reveal Amanda’s and my close relationship if I even breathed a word of my suspicions. He said he wouldn’t rest until he dragged her name into the mud like the whore that she was.”
“How close were you two, exactly?” Adam asked, his tone taking on a hard edge.
“Very…” John started to say as Adam punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
“You are going to hang for your crimes!” Adam exclaimed, standing over him.
John rubbed his reddened jaw. “I didn’t kill nobody. It was all Dustin.”
Tucking his pistol into his gun belt, Porter narrowed his eyes at John. “Dustin abducted Darcy, and you are going to help us stop him.”
John looked between them with disbelief on his features. “No. Absolutely not. Dustin has killed four highly capable cowboys. What makes you any different?”
“I am a Pinkerton agent, as is Darcy,” Porter informed him. “And if you help us, I will put in a good word to the sheriff. It could save you from the noose.”
“I knew there was something different about your wife,” John stated with approval in his tone. “Fine. I will help you, but only because I owe it to Amanda to stop her killer. Not because of him.” He jerked his thumb towards Adam.
Adam’s glare intensified. “I don’t trust him. He will betray us at his first opportunity.”
Porter placed his hand over his pistol. “If I even suspect that John is betraying us, I will kill him where he stands.” He turned his gaze towards the wide expansive green fields. “Where do you think Dustin would take Darcy?”
“The cave,” John confirmed, “and I know where the back entrance is.”
Chapter 12
Darcy awoke to the sound of metal hitting rock. She opened her eyes, fighting back the desire to fall back into peaceful oblivion. The damp smell and the cold stone under her head told her that she was back in the cave.
Bringing her eyes up, she saw a candle jammed into the wall as Dustin repetitively hit the rock with his pickaxe. When a large chunk of rock fell to the ground, he laid his tool against the wall and picked it up.
She stifled a groan. Dustin was the murderer. How had they overlooked him? They’d been so focused on Ralph that he had escaped their notice.
His eyes admired the rock before he turned his gaze towards her. “You’re finally awake.”
She didn’t feel the need to reply to his obvious statement, so she stayed quiet.
Dustin crouched down in front of her. “You and your husband have caused quite a stir with your rumors about finding gold in the valley.” He held out the rock for her inspection. “Now, I will have to kill more people to keep this secret. Their deaths will be on your hands.”
Darcy looked up at him in disbelief. “No. Their deaths are on your hands. You killed them.”
He shrugged. “They were in the wrong place.”
Sliding her hand into the right pocket of her dress, she realized her derringer was gone. Dustin laughed cruelly as he dropped the rock on the ground. “You actually thought I would let you keep your gun.” He tsked. “You foolish, naive woman.”
Straightening her back against the cold stone, she asked, “Why did you abduct me? Why not kill me like you did Amanda?”
To her surprise, Dustin slapped her right cheek, causing her head to hit the rock behind her. “What do you know about Amanda’s death?”
“I know you killed her with arsenic,” she replied, ignoring the ringing in her ears. “I found proof of it in her tea.”
He grabbed her chin and yanked it down. “You are more than you appear, Mrs. Bailey. Lucky for me, I suspected you were much too knowledgeable to be a housekeeper.” His gaze intensified. “So, who are you exactly?”
When she didn’t answer, he slapped her again on her left cheek. “I can do this all day. Can you?”
Darcy’s left hand grabbed the rock that Dustin had dropped. When he brought up his hand to strike her again, she slammed it hard against his head.
Dustin roared in pain as he fell to the ground. Darcy jumped up and tried to run further into the cave, despite it being pitch black all around her. She tripped and nearly fell, catching herself on a rock outcropping. Realizing that Dustin would surely catch her if she fell again, she rushed along as fast as she dared through the darkness, stumbling over the rough ground, feeling her way along the walls.
“Darcy!” Dustin screamed from behind her. “There is no place for you to go. When I find you, I will take pleasure in beating you before I kill you.”
Daring to glance over her shoulder, she saw Dustin held the candle high in the air as he slowly trailed after her. If she attempted to hide, he could still find her with the light. No, she had to keep moving.
Her boot clipped a stone, and she stumbled forward, sliding and skidding along on her hands. Tears burned her eyes from the pain as she jumped up and tried to move faster. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she didn’t dare stop. She knew what her fate would be if he caught her.
Someone grabbed her upper arm, yanked her to the side, and covered her mouth. She tried to scream but the hand muffled the noise. “Darcy, it’s me,” Porter whispered next to her ear.
She whimpered in relief and turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. He pressed her tightly against him. “I have you now. You’re safe.”
“I know,” Darcy whispered.
From the moment she had met Porter Shaw, she had felt safe and protected, not only in his arms, but in his presence as well. And she had no doubt in her heart, that he was a good, kind man, and it was not just for show.
Porter kissed the top of her head. “John will escort you to safety. I will deal with Dustin.”
“I believe I also asked to help.” That was Adam’s voice next to her.
“Fine,” Porter acknowledged, “but you do not get a discount on our payment if you get shot.”
Adam chuckled. “Fair enough.”
“Darcy!” Dustin shouted, his voice echoing off the rocks. “I know you’re in here.”
“John,” Porter stated in a hushed voice. “Take Darcy out the back and don’t stop until she is out of harm’s way.”
She tightened her grip around Porter’s waist. “I don’t want to leave you.”
Porter placed his hands behind his back and forced her hands away from his waist. “Please, Darcy. I need you to be safe. Your life is more important than mine.”
“You are wrong about that, but I will go because you asked nicely,” she said, knowing they didn’t have the luxury of time to argue.
“Finally, you see reason,” he teased, pressing a pistol into her hand. “Here is my spare gun. Now run to safety, and you have my permission to shoot John for any infraction.”
John lit a candle and reached for her hand. “Let’s go before Dustin catches us.”
As they stepped onto the path, a shot rang out, causing John to crumble to the floor. Immediately, the candle flamed out, cloaking them once again in darkness. Darcy scurried back towards the wall where she left Porter, and he placed his left arm protectively around her waist.
“New plan,” Porter declared. “We stop Dustin from killing us.”
“I’m amenable to that plan,” Adam jested nervously.
“Who did I just shoot?” Dustin’s mocking voice grew closer. “If I’m lucky, it was Porter.”
All three of them cocked their pistols and waited until Dustin came into view.
To their surprise, Adam stepped out from behind the safety of the rock and proclaimed, “Dustin. I know what you did, and I know why.”
“Adam?” Dustin asked in surprise. The illumination of his candle allowed them to see him approaching them. “What are you doing here?”
Adam held up his revolver towards Dustin. “I can’t let you hurt anyone else.”
“Well, this will save me the trouble of killing you later,�
� Dustin declared, seeming unphased by the pistol pointed at him.
“Why Amanda?” Adam asked. “Why did you have to kill my wife?”
Dustin stopped a short distance away, holding his gun in his left hand. “I did you a favor. She and John were consorting on the side, and she was playing you for a fool.”
“She didn’t deserve to die,” Adam said, his voice strained. “I loved her.”
“She didn’t love you. She loved your money, your power, but eventually she would have left you,” Dustin revealed. “You were supposed to be her ticket out of this town, but instead you became her warden.”
“I never forced Amanda to stay!” Adam shouted.
“Amanda was tired of being a rancher’s wife. She wanted to leave you and start over. But in order to do that, she needed money… lots and lots of money.”
“Why did you kill her?”
“Let’s just say that she didn’t approve of my methods,” Dustin hedged. “Besides, I didn’t want to share. This gold mine belongs to me.”
“So, you killed four of your friends?” Adam asked in shock.
“They weren’t my friends,” Dustin replied without a shred of remorse. “Neither are you. Once I kill you, nothing will stop me from mining all this gold and living the good life for the rest of my days.”
“I would have shared the gold with you,” Adam stated.
Dustin let out a bark of laughter. “No, you wouldn’t have. Besides, I already told you, I don’t want to share with anyone.” He brought up his pistol and fired it at Adam.
Adam ducked behind the rock and looked over at them. “What now?”
“A good, old-fashioned shootout,” Porter said, before he pointed his pistol at Dustin and fired.
Dustin’s candle dropped to the ground and everything went black except for the occasional spark of a gun as it was fired.
Crouching low, Porter grabbed Darcy’s hand and whispered over to Adam, “We need to get out of here.”
“If I recall correctly, if we stay close to this wall, it will take us back to the entrance,” Adam replied.
Porter gripped Darcy’s hand tighter as Dustin fired another round, hitting the rock they were hiding behind. “Stay low and try not to die.” Holding Darcy’s hand tightly, he started to move towards what he hoped was the entrance.
