Wilder Than the Rest: MacLarens of Fire Mountain

by Shirleen Davies

  Pierce pulled out his pocket watch. Somehow, he’d lost an hour in his mental ramblings before Mollie had arrived. “Ready.”

  Their driver took them down the steep hill to the sprawling dock area on the bay. The Grayson & Flannigan offices were located at the shipping docks of Buena Vista Cove, a rough area that abutted a seedy neighborhood locals referred to as the Barbary Coast. Within its boundaries were concert saloons, dance halls, variety shows, and brothels. Jock had insisted on providing a carriage to and from his office the last time Mollie had met with him, as the area wasn’t safe for women traveling alone.

  “Mr. and Mrs. MacLaren, it’s a pleasure to see you both again.” Jock opened the door that lead through a rustic but clean front office large enough for two desks, then through another door to his office which looked out onto the water. It was not built to take advantage of the majestic bay, but to keep watch on the workers as they loaded and unloaded cargo.

  “Can I get you anything? Coffee?” He looked at Pierce. “Or perhaps whiskey?”

  “Nothing for me, Mr. Flannigan,” Mollie replied and set her reticule on her lap.

  “Please, call me Jock.” He sat behind his desk in an old but sturdy wooden chair and leaned forward, his brawny forearms folded on the desk. “Have you prepared the list of items you need shipped out?”

  Jock was a tall man, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He wore his shirtsleeves rolled up, exposing thick arms dusted with burnished red hair. He wore his hair pulled back in a queue that fell several inches down his back and was the same color as the hair on his arms. Mollie felt now, as she had each time she’d meet him, that his almost translucent amber eyes bore into her, as if attempting to discover long buried secrets. It wasn’t a comfortable sensation.

  Mollie opened her small purse and handed him the listing of items. “It is several rooms of furniture. I realize this is not your normal load, so there is no hurry for it to arrive in San Francisco.”

  Pierce listened to the conversation between Mollie and Jock while noting the size of the room, windows, exits, furniture, and where documents such as they sought might be hidden. There were a couple of file cabinets, a wooden cabinet, plus two wooden chests along one wall. The back wall included three windows overlooking the docks and one exit door. The only other door led into the front office. A large bookcase holding various knickknacks, souvenirs, and a variety of books filled the shelves. Pierce guessed they were from the various travels of the two sea captains. He stood and walked over to one group of brass lanterns, compasses, and other small items typically found aboard ships.

  “Quite a collection, Jock,” he commented and picked up a particularly nice brass compass. “Looks as if you’ve been collecting for years.”

  Flannigan watched Pierce scan the room and wondered at his interest in the insignificant items on the shelves. “Yes, Walter and I used to collect many items on our trips. I don’t keep much of it now.”

  Jock picked up the listing Mollie had given him, looked it over, then set the paper down. “Seems very complete. It will need to be packed and at the docks once I have a timeline prepared.” He glanced at Pierce once more then his eyes shifted back to Mollie. “You’re right that it is not my normal cargo, but I do occasionally handle personal items for friends and business associates. Of course, your other option is to have everything shipped by train. It will most likely cost less and arrive sooner.”

  “Yes, we’ve considered it, but I’m not as comfortable with that solution as having someone I’ve met personally handle my valuables. You understand, of course.”

  “Certainly. As long as you don’t need the items within a couple of months, our services should suit you just fine.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a standard contract, handing it to Mollie. “Why don’t you and Mr. MacLaren read this over and let me know if you have questions. The items will be added to a separate document and attached once you’ve agreed to the terms and paid the deposit.”

  “I’ll take care of this over the next few days.” Pierce took the document from Mollie, folded it, and placed it in the inside pocket of his vest. “I wonder if you might have time to give us a tour?”

  “Be glad to. Just give me a few minutes.” Jock pushed from his chair and left the office. They could hear him calling someone’s name. A muffled conversation could be heard through the closed office door before he returned.

  “If you’re ready?” He walked to the back door and motioned them through toward the yard beyond.

  It was several acres, with three warehouses and two loading docks. Another building held several horses, tack, feed, and two carriages. They walked inside each of the three large storage buildings, Pierce missing nothing and noting that whatever items they sought would most likely be found in the private office. Jock circled them around until they wound up in the front of the main building.

  “Quite an impressive operation. Have you had it a long time?” Pierce asked.

  “The company has been in operation for many years, but under a different name. The original owners had government contracts for delivering mail by steamship into San Francisco. They expanded into trans-Pacific shipping between Hong Kong and here, carrying various items of trade. Afterward, they had lucrative contracts for bringing in railroad workers from Asia, mainly Chinese, but some Japanese also. Walter and I bought out the original owners a few years ago, continuing much of the same routes with the addition of more shipments between Canada and the United States.”

  “Do you use the same ships as the previous owners?”

  “Yes, and added others. We had quite an aggressive plan to expand, one that I’m still deciding how to pursue.” Jock looked back at the docks as if remembering something then shifted his attention back to Mollie and Pierce. “Let me know when you want to meet again.”

  He watched as their carriage pulled away and wondered at their real purpose for securing his services. Perhaps he’d just grown suspicious of everyone, an outcome of working with Georgiana after Walter’s death. She was bright and greedy. Jock sensed she’d gotten involved in activities that could prove harmful to the business. Her vocal dislike of the president and his policies could do nothing except harm his reputation if taken to an extreme. Right now, he had his hands full running the shipping operation and keeping watch on her. Sorting through his questions about the MacLarens would have to wait.

  ******

  “There’s a message for you, Mr. Hatcher.”

  Lee was almost to the stairs when he heard the hotel employee call his name. “Thank you.” He took the message, noted it was from Silas Springer, tore it open, and read the contents. He’d received a response to the private message he’d sent the week before, and it was good news, at least from his standpoint. Now Lee had two confirmations of who he believed might be the man Chaz had heard about from his contact. Although he’d suspected the man of being involved in some unsavory business for a while, this was the first time Lee had been able to pull enough information together to warrant further investigation. He would have to get a message off to Noah.

  Lee started out the door just as Eva walked in, and wondered if he should mention the latest message he’d received. He knew it would be a difficult conversation, that she’d become defensive and refuse to accept the possibility that the person mentioned could be part of what Lee suspected. Eva would think he was trying to settle an old score, get even with someone who’d almost cost him his job as well as his reputation.

  He watched her walk up and decided it was best to wait until after he’d contacted Noah to mention his suspicions. “Eva.”

  “Hello, Lee.” She gazed up at him and wished she could control her body’s response to him each time they were together. For whatever reason, her natural talent for small talk eluded her when he was around. The ease with which she could carry on conversations with perfect strangers vanished when standing alone next to the one person she used to be the most comfortable around. Now, his presence caused her throat to constrict and he
r senses to go on high alert. “It appears you’re leaving for an appointment. I won’t keep you.” She began to turn away.

  Lee reached out and touched her arm. “Walk with me. I need to send a message to Noah and would welcome your company.”

  It was a bad idea to spend any more time than necessary with her ex-husband. There were too many emotions, memories—good and bad—and regrets that surfaced when they were together. She’d thought about his request to let him explain what had happened that night in New York when she’d found him in his hotel room with another woman.

  Eva had recognized the woman instantly. She could still feel her heart clench at Lee’s stunned expression when he’d realized she’d had caught him with someone else. It had taken her a few moments to get over the shock, run from the room, and dash down the stairs to find a carriage on a night when the snow was heavy and wet. Her body shook all the way to his large home—from cold, anger, or pain she didn’t know. She’d packed and left, leaving the servants to wonder at her rapid exit.

  They’d never spoken of it. Eva had refused all of Lee’s attempts to contact her. She didn’t need Lee to tell her what she’d walked in on. The required documents had been prepared the same week and their divorce was processed without objection on either side. She’d seen him from afar over the years, had contact with him through telegrams and other missives—always work related—but until this assignment, she hadn’t been this close in all those years. She found herself wondering at his attempt to explain. Eva didn’t see the point, it was over. They’d each built a life without the other. They couldn’t go back.

  If that was the case, then why did something keep niggling at the back of her mind, encouraging her to let Lee unburden himself? It would be painful to hear, but might bring a finality they both needed.

  “All right, a walk might be nice.” She slid past him through the hotel entrance. He came up beside her, took her hand, and wrapped it through his arm.

  It didn’t take long to get to an office where he could send his message. Lee had planned to send it from the hotel before Eva had walked in. This was the only excuse he could think of to get close to her. He penned the note to Noah, paid the cashier, took her hand again, and stepped back into the sunny day. The heat felt good, and for once, the cold San Francisco winds were calm.

  He turned away from their hotel and walked toward the water. Neither said a word for a long time before Lee broke the silence.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, won’t believe it after all this time, but what you think you saw that night was much different from reality.” He glanced over at her, waiting for a response that would indicate she might be ready to listen.

  Several moments passed before she looked at him. The pain he saw in her eyes was the same as that night four years ago. Her whispered response surprised him. “All right.”

  He stopped and turned her to him. “I’ve been waiting a long time for a chance to explain, Eva.”

  They had come up to the edge of a small park. Lee guided her to a bench a few feet away and stepped back as she sat down. He looked out at the bay, watching a large schooner navigate toward a dock area, before glancing back at Eva and taking a seat next to her. He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, clasping his hands together.

  “You already know I was finishing an assignment. One or two more days and it would have been over. I was tired, anxious to get home,” he looked at her, “to you.” His voice was wistful as he broke eye contact and turned back toward the bay. He took a deep breath before continuing.

  “It had been a long day. I’d sat in the bar downstairs with Owen for a couple of hours, drinking whiskey and discussing the last things we needed to do. I kept trying to leave. He continued to find one excuse after another to keep me there and drinking. After a while, I’d had enough and left for my room. I had another drink before turning in. I don’t know how much time passed before something woke me. There was a light shining in my eyes. I sat up and saw you standing in the doorway, a look I’d never seen on your face. It took a moment before I realized your eyes weren’t focused on me, but on something else. I looked to my side. That’s when I saw Constance, lying beside me.” His gaze focused on Eva. “I swear to you, I did not bring her to my room and she was not there when I fell asleep.”

  Lee sat up and rested his back against the bench. “By the time I realized what was happening, you were already slamming the door.” He stood and turned to face her. “You wouldn’t accept my messages to meet. You’d convicted me without ever hearing my side—assumed the worst.” He paced a few feet away then walked back. “I know how it looked, but it was not what you thought.”

  Eva heard every word, trying to reconcile his explanation with what she’d seen. His version and her recollection matched perfectly, except for the reason Constance was in his bed. “You once told me you loved her.”

  “That was before you, Eva. What I felt for Constance was nothing compared to my feelings for you. I was in love with you.”

  Eva noted the past tense. She didn’t understand why it mattered.

  “What was she doing in your room if you didn’t invite her?”

  “I don’t know and I didn’t stay to find out. When you left, I told her to get out then went after you. By the time I reached the house, you were already gone. It was days before I learned where you were staying, and by then, you’d submitted the documents for a divorce.” He continued to stand, too edgy to relax or sit down.

  “You didn’t try to stop it. From the scene I’d walked into, I thought you’d be relieved. You were back with Constance. I was certain you wouldn’t care.”

  “Not care?” Lee was incredulous. “I was in love with you, Eva. I didn’t want a divorce. You were the one determined to end our marriage, without knowing the truth or giving me a chance to explain.”

  “It seemed so clear…”

  “You never believed I’d be faithful, did you?”

  Eva had said as much before Lee asked her to marry him. She’d been joking, saying a man like him could never commit to one woman. He’d read it for what it was, a thin attempt to hide her insecurities regarding marriage, trust, and commitment.

  Like Lee, she’d come from wealth and was afforded every opportunity. Unlike him, however, her parents had led separate lives—her father appearing at social events with his current mistress. Her mother was more discreet, keeping her affairs away from public scrutiny.

  When Eva was eighteen, she was betrothed to a man her parents considered a perfect match. He was several years older, settled, quite wealthy, and from an acceptable family. He also kept a mistress and had informed Eva that he had no plans to stop seeing the woman after their marriage. They’d discussed it at length, and finally, over protests from him as well as her family, she’d broken the engagement, believing that no man was capable of committing to one woman. She’d carried that belief like a shield until Lee had burst into her life, shattering all her notions of marriage. He’d broken down her defenses, persuading her that he loved her enough to never want another woman.

  Over the years, Eva had tried to push the painful memories of that night out of her mind. Now she tried to remember the details.

  She’d received a message from Lee telling her the assignment had ended and to join him at the hotel to celebrate. They hadn’t seen each other in over two weeks due to the demands of the latest case, an assignment she had no part in. Eva remembered her excitement on the way to the hotel. She’d asked their carriage driver to return the following morning. A key to her husband’s room had been set aside for her at the reception desk.

  Lee’s room was dark. She’d only been able to see the two figures in the bed because of the light from the hallway. Eva focused on that memory. Lee was on his side, facing away from Constance. When the light hit his face, he’d been pulled from a deep sleep, his motions slow, groggy, as if he’d been out for hours. In contrast, she remembered Constance looking wide awake, as if she’d just slipped into bed,
wearing a slight smirk on her face.

  “Eva?” Lee encouraged. She had yet to answer his question about her lack of faith in him.

  She pulled herself from the memories to focus on the man in front of her. “Did you send a message for me to join you that night at the hotel?”

  He thought a moment. “No. I still had a few days left on the assignment. Why?”

  “That’s the reason I went to the hotel. I’d received a message from you saying the assignment had ended and requesting that I join you.”

  “I never sent a message to you, Eva.”

  “Then who…?” Her voice trailed off as she tried again to sort through what had happened and make sense of it.

  “Are you wondering who sent the note?” Lee asked, believing he knew the answer. “My guess is the same person who persuaded Constance to sneak into my room and climb into my bed. The same person who never wanted us together from the beginning.”

  She thought a moment. “You can’t mean Owen? He was your friend, your partner. Why would he have done something like that?”

  Lee walked to within inches of Eva and leaned toward her. “For the same reason he and I are no longer friends, or partners. He wanted my wife,” he hissed, the anger he’d kept under control for the last four years pouring out.

  Eva gasped at the accusation against Owen. She’d know the man had been attracted to her and would have welcomed her into his life after the divorce. But she hadn’t felt the slightest attraction toward him. She’d never thought him capable of the actions that destroyed the life she and Lee had built. “That can’t be. You must be wrong.” Eva whispered the words even as her mind told her that Lee’s accusations had merit.

  Lee watched her face as she struggled with what he’d said. It had taken him a long time to realize the extent of Owen’s obsession with Eva. What bothered him even more was the fact that Eva had accepted what she’d seen as truth, never questioning it or asking her husband for an explanation. In her mind, all her past fears had been confirmed—Lee had proven to be no more faithful than her father.