Rosalind: A Thanksgiving Day Bride (Brides of Noelle Book 8)

by Danica Favorite

  “A man was killed. I realize that doesn’t add up to dollars and cents to the railroad, but people still mean something to me. How do you know the explosion is what caused his death? I’ve been around enough blasts to know that he was too far from the bridge to have been thrown by it. Someone killed him, and while I completely agree that this is a devastating delay to the railroad, think of how more devastating it will be if it comes out that there is a murderer in our midst.”

  Stiles shrugged. “Maybe it was one of his accomplices, wanting to keep everything to himself.”

  “Keep what? What does anyone have to gain by damaging the bridge? That’s what I don’t understand,” Hawk said, letting his frustration show.

  “You yourself said that the kidnapper paid three men to cause a distraction. Whatever payment they received, of course. You are making too much of this. And as a representative of the railroad, I am ordering you to leave this be. We can’t waste valuable time finding out who killed some lowlife who destroyed my railroad. Now, get over to the bridge and find out from Brian what the plan is. He’ll be taking over for Joe, and if you don’t get your act together, your job is his too.”

  Part of Hawk wanted to tell Stiles that he could shove the job. But that would mean leaving the railroad and being forced to relocate elsewhere, where he wouldn’t have access to any of the people he needed to solve Joe’s murder. But more than that, he was still no closer to finding out who killed his wife. He’d been unemployable until the railroad hired him. If he left now, he’d never get hired anywhere where he could make enough to gather the funds to continue his investigation.

  “You know the railroad is my first priority,” Hawk said. “I’ll head there now.”

  Stiles smiled like he’d known that would be Hawk’s answer. One of these days, he’d punch that smile right off the smug man’s face. But sadly, until he completed his job, and money was in hand, he couldn’t afford not to defer to the little toad.

  “Also,” Stiles said. “You’ll need to evict the Creary family. Their tent is on railroad property, and we don’t want the likes of them around here anymore.”

  It took everything Hawk had to control himself. Part of Hawk’s reputation had been his uncontrollable temper. But for every guy he’d famously hit, there were dozens more he’d walked away from. This would be one of them. For now.

  “They haven’t even buried their dead. Shouldn’t we give them the chance to make arrangements for the body? And Horatio is injured. At least give him time to heal,” Hawk said, trying to reason with the man.

  “The body has been dealt with. As for that boy, I don’t care what happens to him. He deserves everything he gets. Maybe they can use the money they got from that poor girl’s kidnapper they sacrificed everything to get. They need to be off railroad property by sundown tomorrow.”

  So that was the way he was going to play it. Hawk hadn’t had a drink in over a year, and right now every cell in his body was begging for it. That urge was stronger than the one he had to flatten Stiles right here.

  But he couldn’t. Wouldn’t give up the control he’d fought for so long to regain finally. Stiles might think he had the upper hand now, but at some point, he’d be given his due.

  “I’ll see that it’s taken care of,” Hawk said. Knowing that if he didn’t evict the Crearys, Stiles would have Brian’s men tear the place apart, which made it even more imperative for him to get to Noelle tonight. But first, he’d pay Brian a visit.

  He tipped his hat at Stiles then mounted his horse and rode off in the direction of the bridge. When he got there, Brian was lazily sitting on a stump, smoking a cigarette.

  “About time you showed up. Stiles isn’t happy.”

  Hawk wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. “I just spoke with him. What’s the status on the project?”

  Brian took a long drag on his cigarette like he had all the time in the world. Hawk shook his head and started for the bridge. Though Brian might be feeling victorious right now, he was in for a harsh reckoning when the time came. Especially because Brian’s cocky attitude put him higher on Hawk’s list of suspects. Reggie had just said to find out who had the most to gain, and given that Brian was so thoroughly enjoying reaping the benefits of Joe’s downfall, Hawk would keep his eye on him. Maybe Brian’s newly elevated position would give Hawk the chance to dig deeper into Brian’s involvement.

  He’d gotten halfway to the bridge when Brian finally jumped up and ran toward them. “What’s your hurry? As far as I can tell, this is going to be a long project. It’s probably going to take longer to fix the bridge than it did to build it.”

  Hawk stared at Brian. “That’s exactly what my hurry is. Doesn’t it bother you that none of us are getting our bonuses now?”

  Brian shrugged. “We got our pound of flesh.”

  He didn’t even look sorry that Horatio’s injuries were so bad. But at least now Hawk knew who’d been behind it.

  “A pound of flesh doesn’t pay the bills,” Hawk said. Especially knowing Brian’s fondness for gambling. He’d expected the man to be a little more upset about not getting his bonus.

  “True. Fortunately, I’ve had a little more luck at the tables lately. Not so much for poor old Joe. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but he seemed to be losing big time the other day. A man shouldn’t play more than he can handle losing, you know what I’m saying?”

  Except that Joe didn’t gamble. He and Hawk had spoken of it once, that Joe’s father, a once wealthy man, had gambled away the family fortune, including Joe’s college fund. Joe had wanted to go to college to study literature and indulge his love of books. But thanks to his father’s carelessness, Joe had been forced to go to work.

  That was information Hawk wasn’t about to share with Brian. Not when Brian was so clearly interested in smearing Joe’s name.

  “I definitely agree,” Hawk said smoothly. “You should never play more than you can afford to lose, especially when you don’t know what the stakes are.”

  That was the trouble with Brian’s current gamble. He didn’t realize that the information Hawk had in his hand was far more powerful than the lies Brian was spreading. No, it wouldn’t be enough to change public opinion, but when the reckoning came, Brian would lose everything. Hawk would make sure of it.

  His answer, though, went right over Brian’s head. The other man grinned as he nodded. “For now, we’re piling the debris over here.” He pointed to a mound of twisted wood and metal. Maybe some of the evidence would be preserved in that pile. Hawk would have to find a creative way of sorting through it.

  “Good. Let’s take a look at the bridge itself.”

  He walked over to the bridge, where some of the men were pulling away the damaged pieces. Whoever had done this had known exactly where to set the explosives to create the most damage. A support here, another one over there. It would almost be easier if the entire bridge had come down. But whoever had done this must have known that.

  He bent to examine one of the twisted posts. He could feel Brian’s eyes on him like Brian was just waiting for him to make a mistake or do something he could report back to Stiles as being inappropriate. But this wasn’t the first time Hawk had played this game.

  “This support will need to be replaced,” Hawk said. “Has anyone taken inventory of these yet?”

  Brian looked at him like he didn’t understand the question. But he puffed himself up like he wasn’t going to admit it. “We were told to clear the debris. That has to happen before anything else.”

  If they’d been doing it more methodically, they could have cleared the debris and taken inventory at the same time. But Hawk suspected that this was the first time Brian had been given the chance to run a job so big. Brian had always been in charge of small projects, a cruel boss determined to prove his worth by pushing people down. And if the job hadn’t been ill-gotten, Hawk would have taken the man under his wing and taught him how to do things properly.

  “Yes, but w
e’ll need to take inventory as soon as possible to get everything ordered. One of the difficulties we had with building the bridge, was that some of these parts had to be custom-made back East. We need to figure out if any of those pieces were damaged. Obtaining any replacements needs to be our first priority.”

  Had he been speaking to Joe, Joe would have already known this. And even though Brian had been part of Joe’s crew, Brian’s expression told Hawk that this was all new to him. But that wasn’t surprising. Brian was lazy at best and did more delegating than actual work.

  Stiles rode up like he was checking to make sure Hawk had really come to do what he said he was going to.

  “How is everything going?” Stiles asked, not getting off his horse.

  “Great,” Hawk said. “Brian was just getting me up to speed on what’s been happening, and we were discussing the need to take inventory of parts we need to order.”

  Brian stepped forward. “Yes. Especially those pieces we need to order from back East. I was just telling Hawk how important it is to make sure we get them ordered right away.”

  He’d known Brian was underhanded, but he didn’t think the other man would be so blatant about it. But fine. He’d play the game, at least until he had enough ammunition to win.

  “Do you think they’ve been damaged?” Stiles asked. “It would be best to try to salvage them because we need to be able to report a good profit to the railroad investors. They won’t be happy if they don’t make money.”

  “Of course we’ll try to salvage them,” Brian said. “The more expensive option would just be a last resort. Hawk is being pessimistic in thinking that we can’t salvage them. That was what we were just discussing when you came upon us.”

  Working with this man was going to be the most exhausting endeavor Hawk had ever embarked upon. But when he closed his eyes and pictured Beth’s sweet face, he remembered why he was doing it and knew he would stay the course. Unfortunately, just as quickly as Beth’s face appeared, it was replaced with an image of the despondency on Rosalind’s face. Hawk shook his head to dispel the thought. This was about Beth. It was always about Beth.

  But that didn’t mean he’d let an innocent man’s death go unpunished.

  “I’m happy to explore all options,” Hawk said. “As you know from the reports I sent you, my top priority is maximizing profit for the railroad. But I also understand the railroad’s sensitivity to safety issues and not wanting to tarnish their name with costly accidents.”

  Brian made a noise. “You should’ve thought of that before putting the guy who was going to blow the whole thing up in charge.”

  Hawk let the other man’s dig roll off his shoulders. Best to let Brian score all his points now because soon enough Hawk would use the man’s own words to bury him.

  “We’d better get to work,” Hawk said. “I’ll need you to have the inventory list ready for you to take to Peregrines’ Freight tomorrow so we can make sure they can handle what they need.”

  “I’m not your errand boy,” Brian snapped. “What you think you’re doing? Trying to get me out of the way?”

  Hawk shrugged as he looked over at Stiles. “I’m happy to go to town tomorrow. But this is something Joe usually did, and Stiles was just mentioning that he wanted me to be hands-on here. Either way is fine with me.”

  Regardless of what was decided, Hawk would be the victor. He was still going to town tonight, but going again tomorrow would allow him to follow up on some things. And if Brian went tomorrow, then Brian would be out of the way while Hawk gathered any remaining evidence without Brian’s watchful eye. He thought he spied a place that had a piece of the fuse remaining. He’d need to take a closer look to be sure, but he wouldn’t do it with Brian watching.

  Stiles looked down at Brian. “You’re the one who wanted this job. If supervising the order is what Joe did, then you should as well.”

  “But you said—” Brian started to argue, then Stiles inclined his head toward Hawk and Brian closed his mouth. Yes, there was far more afoot than what anyone was saying. But Hawk hadn’t earned his reputation by being stupid.

  “I don’t think the order will be ready by tomorrow,” Brian said.

  “Then we’ll work through the night to make sure it is,” Hawk said. “That’s what a supervisor does. They’re on the job until it’s done.”

  Hawk tipped his hat at Stiles. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ve got some work to do. I want to make sure that order gets to Peregrines’ Freight tomorrow morning first thing, so there aren’t any shipping delays. Brian, let’s go take a look and see which of those posts need to be replaced.”

  The other man knew it would be stupid to contradict him. Stiles seemed satisfied with what was going on. He’d thought he’d won, and that had been the point of this entire interaction. For Hawk to convince him that he was once again playing the game Stiles’s way.

  Once Stiles had ridden off, Brian turned to him. “You made me look stupid back there.”

  Hawk shook his head. “On the contrary, I let you make yourself look like you knew something about this bridge. You don’t. And you’d better learn, fast, before Stiles figures out that you’re nothing but a bunch of hot air. He’s not stupid, you know. And he has zero tolerance for fools. Now get a pen and some paper so we can start writing down an inventory of the supplies we’re going to need.”

  A terrified look crossed Brian’s face, and for a moment, Hawk almost felt sorry for him. But Brian was the one who talked bigger than he really was, and at some point, he’d have to face the music.

  “I know more than you think,” Brian said. “You act like I’m stupid, but there’s a lot even you don’t know. And if you think going to the law is going to help, it’s only going to get you in more trouble.”

  Hawk already knew that going to the law wasn’t going to get him anywhere. But it was interesting that Brian was warning him off. The more Brian talked, the more Hawk believed he had to have been in on Joe’s murder. But his ignorance about the bridge made it clear that whoever else was helping Brian had to be someone critical to the operation. Having Brian here, as the supervisor, would make it easier to find out.

  “As Mr. Stiles explained to me, the railroad’s interest in completing this line is more important than digging into a crime that has already been solved. If the railroad is satisfied with the turn of events, then so am I. Which is why I’d like to get this inventory done, and the order sent out as quickly as possible.”

  Brian looked doubtful, but Hawk walked over to the workers to get their feedback on what they found wrong. The sooner he got the inventory completed, the sooner he could slip away, ride to Noelle, and do what he could for the Creary family. He might have convinced Brian and Stiles that Joe’s family was low on his list of priorities, but every time Brian opened his mouth, the more determined Hawk was to bring Joe’s killers to justice. And in that, maybe he could find a link to his wife’s murder, and finally, find peace.

  4

  Hawk had ridden hard all night. First, to Noelle, to make arrangements for Joe’s family. Then back to the railroad camp so he could show up at the bridge with the men at first light. As far as he knew, no one had realized he’d gone. He just hoped that when he delivered all the information to Rosalind, she would be smart enough to read between the lines and understand that his hand had been forced.

  Once the men had arrived at the bridge and Hawk had given instructions, then presented Brian with the list to take to Noelle, Hawk went over to the Creary tent.

  Rosalind let him in as soon as she realized it was him, and he wished he could have taken her into his arms the way he’d done the day before at the sight of her weary face. But he’d been wrong to do so before, and it would be even more wrong to do so now.

  “We don’t have much time,” he said without preamble. “Stiles has ordered me to evict you and have you out by the end of the day. Otherwise, he’ll be turning the same men who beat your brother on to the task. I believe Dr. Deane came during the
night?”

  Rosalind nodded as Dr. Deane entered the tent. “I did indeed. And I hate to tell you this, but Horatio’s injuries are serious. It’s going to be a long recovery.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Hawk said. “And because I went to get you first, you don’t know the other arrangements I’ve made.”

  Hawk turned back to Rosalind. “I have to evict you. If those other men get their hands on you—”

  Shaking his head, he turned away. He couldn’t say it. But he’d heard Brian and his men laughing about some of the things they did with the women in the other tent, and he knew they would delight in hurting these women.

  “It doesn’t matter. You’ll be out by the end of the day. My friend, Hugh Montgomery, who is the assayer in Noelle, is coming with his friends and a wagon. They’ll transport Horatio and your belongings to town. Though space is tight in his living quarters at the assayer’s shop because his house isn’t quite finished yet, he and his wife, Minnie, have invited you to stay with them.”

  Rosalind stared at him. “You have friends?”

  Then she shook her head as she sank into a chair. “I’m so sorry. That was rude of me. It’s just the way you said it, I just—It doesn’t seem like you have those kinds of close relationships.”

  In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Hawk chuckled. “I don’t. But years ago, I met an English Lord fresh off the boat who was getting fleeced for everything he was worth. There was something about Hugh that reminded me of the little brother I always wished I’d had, and I took him under my wing. We lost touch for a while, but when I started working for the railroad, I found out he’d settled in Noelle, so we’re catching up.”

  Catching up was a mild way of putting it. Hugh was still mad at him for not coming into town more often to take advantage of his hospitality. He’d felt bad asking Hugh to take in the Crearys, but with less than twenty-four hours, it was the easiest solution. And fortunately, Hugh had been delighted to do a favor for Hawk for a change.