An Agent for Clementine

by Ginny Sterling

  12

  At Jericho’s suggestion, Clementine found herself standing in front of a large house located near the center of town. He’d given her carte-blanche to find something nice to wear to the dance. He’d also suggested that she use it as an opportunity to befriend Sarah Kilgore or look around for information. The idea of chatting with Sarah again did not sit well with her, but she recognized the reasoning behind his request too. Jericho was meeting John today at the bank to discuss financial prospects for opening a prospective facility here in town and the funding it would need. Everything was a setup – it was a dangerous game they were playing and both knew it.

  The Kilgore’s home was simply breathtaking and while her own home in Chicago had been grand, this was over the top! Great columns lined the front with an abundance of wrought iron balconies. A line of hedges, neatly trimmed, invited you silently towards the elegant front doors. Several wicker rocking chairs lined the verandah. A cobblestone drive ran along one side of the home, circled around the building and exited on the other side. She could only imagine that the carriage house wasn’t far away and somehow connected to the pathway.

  Knocking softly on the door, Clementine hesitated and almost turned away when she heard the latch move to open the doorway. Something about the woman didn’t set well with her, and combined with the clear signs of an addiction, it made her very uncomfortable.

  “May I help you ma’am?”

  “Yes. Yes,” she nodded quickly at the valet who opened the door. His flat, somber expression told her he was beyond feeling or caring- he was there to simply do a job. Her own parents had hired help but they were almost always smiling or laughing and they considered them part of their family.

  “I’m here to see Sarah Kilgore. She’s not expecting me.”

  “I should say not,” he said coldly. “Wait here.”

  Clementine stood there awkwardly for several minutes and wished she’d worn a larger hat, not because she was in the sun – because several people in carriages were staring at her strangely. After several more moments she started to get concerned that he would not return. She could hear noises coming from inside the home where the upper floor windows were open to allow air to flow through the house in order to keep it cool. Just then, the door opened again- only to see the valet once again.

  “This way.”

  Stepping into the house, she realized the exterior was just as beautiful as the interior of the home… except it was dim inside. The bottom floor windows were not only shut, but the curtains remained closed, allowing little light into the home. Her boot heels made soft clacking sounds on the flooring as she followed his back down a hallway. A door to the left was slightly ajar and he pushed it slightly open before stepping back.

  “Mrs. Kilgore is resting inside.”

  “Thank you.”

  Stepping into what looked to be an office or library, she didn’t know what stunned her more. The way Sarah Kilgore’s limp form lay draped across a chaise almost completely asleep, or the absolute mess the room was. There was a faint, sickly sweet smell that hung on the air and tickled her nose. A crack in the curtains shed a beam of light down onto the floor, illuminating the room slightly.

  “Sarah? It’s Clementine. Shall I come back? I didn’t mean to bother you.”

  “Shis no bodder,” Sarah drawled, struggling to sit up. It looked like she’d been sleeping in her dress for quite a while. The skirt and puffed sleeve of her gown was quite wrinkled and her hair was askew. Seeing Sarah repeatedly try to keep herself upright was heartbreaking. The woman was extremely pretty but whatever libation she was indulging in, it was tearing her apart.

  “Sarah, let me help you get comfortable,” Clementine offered gently and moved to the woman’s side. Setting her up against the back of the chaise, she stuffed several bolsters around Sarah’s body as if to form arms on the wingless chair.

  “How are you feeling today? Have you a headache?”

  “Mmphfine,” Sarah mumbled, closing her eyes. Her head lolled back against the chaise. Clementine felt both relief and sorry – she was glad her airway was obviously unobstructed as her mouth gaped open, but appalled that this young woman was in such a state.

  “I see you need to rest,” Clementine admitted, trying to keep the reproach from her voice. She was not her mother, nor her God. It was not the life she’d lead but it was obviously a poor choice that Sarah had made long ago dragging her through hell and back. How long had she been here like this?

  “Let me help you get comfortable and we can chat later. Maybe we could meet for tea or something?”

  “Mide like dat,” slipped out of Sarah’s mouth, barely intelligible. It seemed like whatever she’d ingested was getting stronger and stronger. A snore escaped her seconds later, indicating that she was now sound asleep and Clementine was left to her own devices.

  A pang of pity stabbed at Clementine’s stomach as she looked at the woman. Modern clothing was so difficult to get in and out of with some of the restraints and ties. It looked like Sarah had simply collapsed at one point. Her buttoned boots were still on her feet.

  She knew her own pinched after a while and immediately sat down to unbutton the boots. It felt so uncomfortable to be doing something so personal but if Sarah was in a corset, removing her boots on her own would not be feasible due to the whalebone or steel ribbing. She herself had to put her boots on before she donned her corset as she was dressing. Once the boots were unbuttoned, she stood up feeling like she’d done something nice other than just abandoning the drugged woman in the darkened room.

  Getting to her feet, Sarah looked around the room again now that her eyes were adjusting to the dim light. She could see that the beautiful wooden shelves that lined the walls were full of books, every shape and size. There was one shelf specifically that held a crystal decanter and glasses on it, functioning as a serving bar. A cluttered desk was on the far end, furthest from the window. She’d originally had thought it was the outline of a couch in the darkness.

  Tiptoeing over, she looked back at Sarah and heard several soft snores indicating that she was sound asleep. The sound of her breathing combined with her heartbeat drumming in the silence of the house was terrifying. She was snooping where she shouldn’t be!

  Carefully looking at the papers on the desk, she had to squint and strain to read what was on them. She didn’t dare crack open the curtain any farther because she didn’t want to wake Sarah up. Seeing numbers on one of the ledgers, she realized it was a banker’s log book. Looking at their home, they were obviously filthy rich and the pages before her verified it. Picking up the ledger, she examined the one underneath and gaped.

  It was another almost identical to the first ledger. The dates were the same, but the numbers in the column were significantly different. Comparing the two, she realized that one was their actual holdings and the other was for show. They were penniless and living on creditors! If they kept their own personal finances like this- was this what the bank was doing? Funny math, compliments of John Kilgore? Did Sarah know what her husband was doing to them?

  Clementine backed away from the booklets and stared horrified at the woman with a new found understanding. Maybe this was why she was so inebriated all the time? Sarah knew about all of this and it was completely out of her control. Biting her nails, she realized she needed to get proof to Jericho right away.

  Her husband and partner was right- this was beyond dangerous. If their finances were this bad off- people would lie, cheat, and steal to make sure their lifestyle didn’t fall apart around them. Money made people do horrifying things… including betrothing their child off to a stranger, or so she’d once thought, before meeting Jericho.

  Swallowing hard, Clementine stared into the dim room to look at Sarah. She would get Sarah help and free Sarah from her lying, wretched husband. Carefully, she slowly thumbed back several pages and tugged a sheet from each ledger. She wanted to take the active one, but she didn’t want John to know it. If he knew she had e
vidence, there was no telling what he would do!

  Staring at the two trembling sheets in her hands, she squinted to focus on the first lines to make sure they matched each other. Once verified, she lay the papers on top of each other and folded them several times. Mortified, she turned away from the sleeping woman and tucked the square of paper down inside of her bodice modestly. She felt like she was wearing an insignia of guilt emblazoned on her chest, even though she knew it was invisible underneath the layers of clothing.

  Backing away from the desk, Clementine wished her own shoes were unbuttoned so she could take them off. Every click of her heels sounded like a gun being fired in her mind. Taking a deep breath, she ducked back into the hallway and started down towards the door.

  “Is your visit over so soon?”

  Clementine jumped, a nervous yelp escaping her as she saw the valet standing on the massive stairs just above where she was. Everything about this house, this situation, this experience was setting her nerves on edge and she just wanted to escape.

  “Yes, Mrs. Kilgore is sleeping and I should have made her aware I was coming by first. Will you please let her know I saw myself out and will call again next week?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Did you wish to wait for Mr. Kilgore to discuss anything? He should be returning shortly from the bank.”

  “No, why would I do that? He is currently with my husband discussing matters now, but thank you for inquiring,” Clementine said nervously, trying to keep her voice from trembling. There was no way he could know she had the pages, could he? It was just her and Sarah in the room. The door had been shut when she’d exited the office.

  “If that will be all then?”

  The haughty valet came down the remaining steps and opened the front door for Clementine. His demeanor bothered her to no end and made her feel like she had thief written across her forehead. Regally, she walked out the front door like she hadn’t a care in the world. Her feet carried her swiftly down the block before she crossed the street in order to escape in the crowds. She wanted to hide in her hotel room and lock the door for her safety. Jericho needed to return soon so they could talk about her discovery.

  It was three hours before Jericho returned to the hotel. She heard the door to his room close, causing the hollow thump to echo in her room like usual. Stepping out of her room, she immediately went next door to his and boldly rapped several times.

  She was in a hurry and frightened, wanting to unburden herself with the news. The door opened and she saw that he had just removed his necktie from his shirt. Looking away, she darted under his arm and ran inside heedless of what he thought or what anyone else imagined.

  “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” he asked quickly. Clementine darted into his arms and hugged him tightly. She’d been a complete bundle of nerves and it was all simply too much. His arms wrapped around her and he held her for several minutes until she stopped shaking.

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m just anxious.”

  “I noticed,” he whispered against the top of her head as he held her. “I can feel you trembling. I’ve got you now and everything will be fine.”

  “I know.”

  “So, talk to me,” he encouraged. “What’s wrong?”

  Clementine stepped back and reached in the top of her gown for the paperwork she’d tucked away earlier. She’d been afraid to remove it because it might have gotten lost or misplaced. It had lay against her skin for hours, a reminder of the dangers a life like this could have. Jericho’s eyebrow shot up quizzically as the corner of his lip curled in sheer delight.

  “Get that thought out of your head,” she whispered automatically and did an about face quickly. Pulling the papers from her bodice, she turned around and held them out. His smile was unnerving and she knew she was blushing down to the tip of her toes. She wanted to be his wife in all things- but discussing, seeing, or enticing matters was a whole ‘nother issue altogether!

  “My apologies, dumplin’. I thought for sure we were going to…”

  “No. You are keeping me from thinking straight.”

  “Because you want me to kiss you?”

  “What?” she squawked nervously and held out the paperwork to him. His eyebrows pinched together as he took the sheets of paper from her.

  “What’s this?”

  “What I snuck out of the Kilgore’s house today.”

  “You did what?” he shouted in surprise and quickly lowered his voice. His eyes shot up to hers as he moved to lock the hotel room door. He quickly jammed a chair underneath the door handle. “How did you get this out? Did anyone see you? Were you followed?”

  “Jericho, I got there and Sarah was in worse condition than the other night. She was so out of her wits that she fell asleep right away. I was alone in the office and decided to peek around.”

  “I won’t have you putting yourself in danger.”

  “You don’t have much of a choice if we are to solve this case,” she snapped angrily. “If you can go gallivanting all over town searching for clues, then I can do the same Agent Buchannan!”

  “You’re right. You did wonderful, Clementine.”

  His soft words barely registered in her mind. She stood there looking at him as he stared at the papers, reading them. She felt like she’d accomplished something special and he was proud of her. She’d instantly thought he was going to take that moment away from her again, yet he’d stepped up and acknowledged her successes once again- taking the wind from her sails and creating a blossoming feeling in her heart.

  This man was incredible- and he was her husband. Every time she needed Jericho, he was there. Each time she’d assumed the worst, he surprised her. Stepping over to him, she peered over his arm and pointed at the delicate paperwork.

  “If you look at the columns, they are overinflating things to make it look like they are making money. There was a second ledger right beside it that I believe to be the actual funds. The page John Kilgore was on- it was in the negative thousands of dollars.”

  “No one saw you?”

  “I only saw two people the entire time I was there: Sarah, who fell asleep and the valet. He was very professional about my arrival and departure, very uncaring about the comings and goings. He wasn’t surprised she had a visitor and looked like he was used to people coming to the door. Is this enough for us to head back to Denver?”

  “I believe so, but I don’t want to ask via telegraph. I’ll send a letter and address it to Marianne so no one suspects a thing.”

  “You are quite clever.”

  “And I think you are incredible,” he admitted, looking down at her where she stood nearby. Clementine felt the magnetic pull between them and leaned up on her tiptoes to meet his kiss. She knew in her heart that Jericho would remove some of the fear she’d had. He was her strength, her support. It was getting easier and easier to want more from him as her husband. As her hand reached up to curl around his neck, he pulled back and stepped away.

  “Did you get a ball gown?” he asked huskily, rubbing his neck where her hand had touched his skin. Was he trying to wipe away her touch? His eyes stared at everywhere but her, avoiding her confused gaze.

  “Not yet.”

  “We’ll get you one tomorrow. I’ll take you and bring you back here. I think for safety’s sake we should remain here as much as possible. Maybe we could feign an illness or something? It would keep others away from the rooms.”

  “I don’t think I will have to feign, Jericho – I’m feeling quite beside myself as it is,” she whispered. “Let me out of here so I can go lie down.”

  13

  Clementine kept to herself as much as possible the next few days. Her heart felt heavy and her soul was filled with dread. Jericho had given her the precious evidence back to keep with her and claimed it was a sign of trust between them. She both hated and loved that he trusted her that much. She wanted to shove it back into his hands, telling him to be res
ponsible for it. She didn’t want it lain at her feet if something happened.

  Tonight, was the event that John Kilgore was holding. He called it a benefit and the term were almost comedic- if it wasn’t so blatantly true. The only one who would benefit tonight from any funds or monies exchanged- would be himself. Jericho had mentioned dinner and dancing, but from what she could see inside of the building- John Kilgore made sure to spare no expense. He threw around money to prove that he could… raking in the unknowing participants’ wallets and purses.

  Her gown was a simple one on such short notice. A young lady had not picked it up. The dressmaker said that the woman had insisted they change the color of the gown before purchasing, so her cast-aside garment was actually a treasure waiting for Clementine! The pale shade of green complimented her skin tone and hair perfectly. The material had a sheen to it that made it nearly glow in the light. It had a sweetheart neckline that buttoned down to the skirt. Yards and yards of material formed a pleated bustle that would be the envy of any woman there. There was no adornment- no tassels and no beadwork- but it wasn’t necessary for it to stand out.

  Donning the gown, she’d met Jericho on the landing of the hotel. His throat worked several times as he stood there dumbstruck. It made her feel good to know that he was struck by her beauty. He said sweet words all the time, but his actions made her seriously doubt the sincerity sometimes. If he was giving her space, it was a bit much.

  They rode in a carriage to the hall in order to protect her gown from getting filthy. She was grateful for the courtesy because it would protect her toes too, giving her a bit more time to enjoy dancing this evening.

  Clementine couldn’t help but stare at Jericho’s profile as he looked out the window. His firm jaw was accentuated by the stark contrast of his dark jacket and necktie. His blonde hair was slicked back like he’d just gotten out of the bath. There was something about the way his expressive face could be so somber one moment and flirtatious the next.