It didn’t take long to reach his destination. He rode to the back of the property then tied his horse to a post another block away and hidden from the main street. He’d get in and out before anyone discovered his presence. There were to be just a few guests and he’d seen no guards posted, as was the case at the Mayor’s Ball. No one was expecting trouble tonight. Truth was, Pierce didn’t want any trouble either, just a clean visit without being discovered.
His dark clothes concealed his tall, lean frame as he traversed the short distance through the shrubs and crouched below a well-lit window on one side of the mayor’s house. Laughter and conversation flowed from the room, which he guessed was either the dining room or parlor. He looked around and smiled at his luck. There were several large trees within a few feet of the house. The one closest to him had large branches that spread out and touched the upper windows near a second-story balcony. Lee had told him the library, which served as the mayor’s office, was downstairs. The mayor also had a small, private study on the second floor. He needed to check both.
Pierce dropped to the ground at the sound of voices near the window.
“How long will you be in the city, Lee?” It was the mayor’s voice.
“Weeks or months, neither Eva nor I have decided.”
“She’s a beautiful woman, a little mysterious for my tastes, but no doubt a most gracious companion. I don’t have to tell you how lucky you are.”
“No, Mayor, you don’t.”
“Supper is served,” a servant announced.
Pierce could make out the sound of footfalls as everyone moved to the dining room. He stood and peered through the window into the parlor then stooped low to silently traverse the perimeter of the house. He needed to locate the library, then find the upstairs study. The library was on the other side of the kitchen, on the opposite side of the house from where he’d started. Pierce reached up and tried the window, relieved to discover it hadn’t been secured. To his relief, it made no noise as he lifted the double-hung window. He pulled himself over the sill and dropped inside.
Pierce moved to the desk, rifling through drawers, and feeling around the bottoms and sides. Finding nothing, he walked the perimeter of the room, locating a small wall safe. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of tools. Within a minute, the safe was open and he was searching the contents. Again, he found nothing except personal papers and some money. He closed the safe, returned the picture to its place, and took one more careful look around.
A small stand caught his attention. The top shelf was thicker than most, capable of concealing a drawer. He silently approached and noticed what appeared to be a shelf on glides. Pulling it open he found a stack of papers. He searched through them, and again, found nothing except private documents.
It was time to locate the study. He dropped back outside, closed the window, then soundlessly returned to the large tree on the other side of the house. A short time later, he was up the tree and standing on the small balcony. He tried the door. It opened and he slipped into what he guessed was the bedroom used by the mayor and his wife. The inside bedroom door opened to a dimly lit hallway. The third door he tried opened into a surprisingly large study.
Two walls held books, the third was to the outside and had just one window. A desk was pushed up against the fourth wall with tall cabinets on either side—that’s where he started.
The third drawer down on the right side of the desk held various files, one labeled ‘G and F.’ Grayson & Flannigan? Pierce wondered as he pulled it out and looked through the contents. His eyes widened as he scanned the documents inside. He read the contents twice, memorizing as much as possible before returning the file to the drawer to search the rest of the room. The file in the desk was the only item of interest. He’d started toward the hallway door when he heard footsteps and voices.
Pierce dashed to the one small window, lifted the bottom half, and peered out. He’d break a leg if he tried to drop from that point. He closed the window and looked around the room, his eyes fixing on the tall cabinets next to the desk. He pulled open the doors at the bottom of one and had just crammed his large frame inside, closing the doors after him, when light appeared from the hallway.
“This is the desk I mentioned. It came over from England. Almost didn’t make it when the ship ran into a nasty storm. As you can see, it did survive and required only minor repairs.”
“It’s magnificent, Mayor, as is the room. This must be where you go to truly get away.”
Pierce thought he recognized the somewhat sultry female voice as belonging to Virginia Traxton and a chill went through him. Something about that woman set him on edge.
“Yes, Virginia, it is. Of course, I receive visitors and do some work in my library, as it is larger and more formal. This room is reserved for my own personal use. Shall we?”
Pierce waited until he heard the door close behind them before pushing open the cabinet doors and extricating himself from the small space. He stretched then pulled open the hallway door and dashed silently to the bedroom where he’d entered. Within minutes, he was outside, moving at a quick pace toward his horse a block away. It wouldn’t be long before he’d be back at the house before Mollie could miss him.
This is why he’d been interested in Noah’s offer to become an agent. He wasn’t any good at biding his time, waiting for actions to unfold. Pierce liked being part of the action, getting in the middle to make events happen. Tonight had gone well. He wasn’t sure if the file he read was damaging or an attempt by the mayor to do some investigating on his own, but it was a start. Lee and Eva would know what to do next.
******
Mollie paced the large entry hall, furious that Pierce hadn’t told her of his plans. She’d gone looking for him earlier, wanting to clear the air and try to make peace. When she couldn’t locate him, she knew his disappearance involved the case and he’d kept her out of it.
Mollie stared at the large entry door when she heard the sound of boots coming up the steps. He’d get everything she had to throw his way this time, she wouldn’t hold anything back. The door opened. Mollie was ready, hands on hips, and a don’t-mess-with-me aura about her.
Pierce came to a dead stop when he saw her. He pulled his old range hat from his head and tossed it on a nearby chair. “Mollie,” he greeted, then made an attempt to walk around her, indicating that he had no time for angry outbursts. She moved into his path, halting his progress.
“Where’ve you been?” She nearly spit the words at him.
“Working on something for Lee.” He tried to move around her again and failed.
“What, exactly?”
He could see she wasn’t going to budge. Truth was if it had been her taking off, he’d be mad as hell. “Fine. Let’s go into the parlor and I’ll explain it all.”
Pierce walked straight to the liquor cabinet, poured two shots, and handed one to Mollie. She took it without a word and downed the amber liquid in one gulp. He watched, fighting an urge to smile at how flushed her face got when she was angry. The whiskey would only add to the glow. He hoped it also mellowed her mood. He shot his back and poured one more for each of them.
He sat down in an oversized chair, stretched out his legs, crossed his ankles, and sipped the whisky, hoping she’d calm down.
“Lee asked me to check out Mayor Pound’s office. We both knew it was a one-person job. You weren’t needed.”
Mollie didn’t take a seat, choosing to continue to pace while watching her overconfident partner. She stopped to face him. “It doesn’t matter if Lee approved one or two, you should have told me, and I should’ve been there to make sure someone was keeping watch for you. That, Pierce, is what partners are for.”
“Lee didn’t see it that way. A lookout may have drawn more attention, Mollie. It was a simple supper party, not some major event. Anyway, it worked out fine.”’
“It could’ve ended up not being fine if you were caught. You’d have gone to jail and it would have tak
en days for Noah to get you out.”
She was right on that count. If any of them were arrested, the procedure was to notify Noah Dodd to handle their release. None of the other agents were to step forward and expose their cover.
“Well, I didn’t get caught and I got what Lee wanted.”
“Which is?”
“I’ll explain when he and Eva arrive, which should be real soon.”
They both turned as the door opened. Chaz walked in and glanced around, strode to the cabinet, poured a drink, and swiveled back to Mollie and Pierce. “Not here yet?” he asked, referring to Lee and Eva.
Pierce shook his head.
Chaz downed his drink, looked at the bottle again, decided against pouring another, and set his glass down.
Penelope opened the parlor door to let them know Lee and Eva had arrived and showed them in.
Lee didn’t waste time, walking directly to Pierce. “What did you find?”
“Not much, but enough to know that Pound is at least aware of some strange activities at Grayson & Flannigan.” Eva took a seat as Pierce continued. “There was a file in Pound’s upstairs study. A couple of items were receipts for goods that he and his wife had ordered from the east. One document was three pages long, handwritten, and spoke of his suspicions about Georgiana Grayson. The message was dated before Walter Grayson’s death. From the sound of it, the mayor and Walter met for lunch. They apparently were quite good friends. Anyway, Grayson suspected his wife was involved in some activities he knew nothing about, and that Jock Flannigan might be aware of what was going on. Pound mentioned that what Walter told him may have merit—that’s where the first part of the document ended. He must have picked up the document again after Grayson’s death to add more thoughts. The mayor mentioned that Georgiana and Thomas Traxton were somehow connected. He wrote of his intention to speak with Chief Curtis and have both Traxton and Georgiana watched. That’s when the writing stopped.”
“Could you tell when the last part was written?”
“It was dated two months ago.”
“Interesting. I wonder if he did go ahead with his investigation of the two.” Eva stood and walked to the darkened window, aware that the others were continuing their discussion behind her. There was a full moon, with sporadic cloud cover, which cast an eerie glow over the garden area behind the mansion. For an instant, she thought she saw a shadow race through the massive shrubs near the back. She watched another minute, and, when there was no further activity, turned back to the group.
“Eva, it would be best for you to approach the mayor. You’ve known him and his wife a while. Mention your observations about Traxton and Georgiana and see if he takes the bait.”
Lee had taken off his jacket and rested against the edge of the desk, his arms crossed over his solid chest. Eva remembered when she used to hand him a drink when he got home at night. He’d take a sip then set his drink down and rest his hands on the edge of the desk. She’d unbutton his shirt and feel the heat of him while he relaxed. Even now, she could feel her face flush at the thought.
“Eva, did you hear me?” Lee asked, a slight smile curving his lips as if he knew what she was thinking. And he probably did.
“I, uh, yes, certainly. I’d be happy to meet with the Pounds.” She’d have to confirm what it was she was supposed to meet with them about at a later time.
“All right. The plan was to have Pierce check the mayor’s office downtown. With what he found in the desk, I believe it would be best to have him check out the offices of Grayson & Flannigan instead.”
“I’m going this time, Lee. I won’t be left out again.” Mollie’s voice was steel-edged, her face set.
Lee’s eyes locked with hers. “You weren’t needed tonight, Mollie. I’m sorry if this offended you, but that’s the decision I made. Over time, there will be decisions that you may not agree with and will frustrate you. That’s part of this type of work and you’ll need to learn to handle it.” His voice was equally hard. “Do I make myself clear?”
Pierce looked toward Mollie, his face impassive.
“Completely.” Mollie hated being called to task in front of others, even though she realized it was her own fault for bringing it up now, with everyone present.
“Good. The search at Grayson & Flannigan is a two-person job. Pierce, you’ll take Mollie. We need a layout and the number of men Jock leaves on guard at night. Chaz, you will handle that in the next two days. Pierce will call the shots once you are on the property, no matter who accompanies him. Understood?”
Everyone nodded.
“We’ll need at least three days to put everything in place. Plan it for four nights out. Eva and I will do whatever is needed to make sure Jock Flannigan and Georgiana Grayson are out of the office. Any questions?”
When no one responded, Lee continued. “There is something else. President Cleveland is riding the train around the country, building support for his initiatives and meeting with city leaders. San Francisco will be one of his stops. I’d like to have this case closed and all of us out of California by the time he arrives.”
Chapter Sixteen
Fire Mountain
“What’s the message say, Drew?” Tess stood alongside her husband who’d just picked up a note from his boss, Louis Dunnigan. They’d been in town running errands and were just about to head back to the ranch when he remembered the mail.
Drew pursed his lips as he silently read then looked at his pregnant wife. “He wants me to meet him in San Francisco to review some new business transactions he’s considering. Henry Thompson is still back east working on other legal matters and can’t get west for several weeks. Dunnigan has already arranged my travel and hotel. I’ll need to leave tomorrow.”
“Did he say how long you’d be needed?”
“No, but I’d guess a couple of weeks at most. At least it will give me a chance to see Pierce and find out how it’s going.” He folded the paper before sliding it into his shirt pocket.
Drew hated leaving Tess at this point. She was almost six months along, three months from when the newest MacLaren was expected. At least she would have help from the other women if anything happened while he was gone. Drew had been anticipating a request like this from Louis, knowing how many business deals the man liked to have going at one time. He’d hoped it would wait until after the birth, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“Best get back and let everyone know.” Drew slipped Tess’s arm through his, feeling fortunate in so many ways. The ranch was doing well, their first child was on the way, and, along with the horse breeding operations, his legal work for Dunnigan was lucrative and kept him busy. As Aunt Alicia had commented to everyone the other night, the only thing missing was having the last of the MacLarens back home where he belonged, referring to Pierce.
Drew smiled to himself. This would be a good opportunity to make sure his cousin hadn’t gotten himself into too much trouble, and remind him that his family was in Fire Mountain, waiting for his return.
******
San Francisco
Pierce had been restless since the night he’d searched the mayor’s study. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the excitement of his past life—using his skills to do investigative work that often included backstairs access to people’s homes and offices. Sneaking into the mayor’s home, going through the library and study, had provided the thrill he’d been missing the last few months. He’d signed on with Noah because his boss had implied the agency needed the types of skills Pierce possessed. Until now, most of the work had been centered on meeting people, attending social events, poring over bits of government-secured information, and trying to make sense of it all. He was looking forward to checking the offices of Grayson & Flannigan—it may prove to be the last adventure he have for a while.
Mollie had made a second appointment to meet with Jock Flannigan that afternoon regarding a contract to bring items to San Francisco from the East Coast. At Lee’s request, she’d already met with Jock o
nce—a preliminary meeting to see if his company handled the type of shipping she needed. Flannigan had assured Mollie that her request was quite common and scheduled a second meeting.
This time, Pierce would accompany her. He would get a direct look at the waterfront parcel where Grayson & Flannigan had built their office and warehouses, request a tour, ask seemingly harmless questions, and leave with most of the information needed to access the property a couple nights later. Chaz had already done his part, confirming that Flannigan kept two men on watch each night. They’d have to decide how to distract them while Pierce completed his search.
“Are you ready?” Mollie asked as she walked into the library.
Pierce had been moments away from going to find her. She hadn’t invited him to her second meeting with Lloyd Johnson that morning, believing she could get more information out of the man without someone else present.
She’d had her first meeting with the attorney a few days after the Mayor’s Ball. As he’d promised, Lloyd had sent her a lunch invitation. That’s when she’d asked for the introduction to Flannigan.
Mollie and Johnson had agreed on a second meeting that day. For her, the purpose was to attempt to learn more about Jock before she and Pierce met with the man. Mollie knew Lloyd was attracted to her, yet he’d kept the conversation focused on the potential of securing the MacLaren legal business and providing her with insights on San Francisco society. The information she’d gotten from the attorney had been valuable, indicating that Flannigan was considered to be honorable and an astute businessman. She had left their meeting feeling as if pursuing more information on Jock was a waste of everyone’s time.
Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain Page 13
