After a low whistle, Collier pursed his lips. “If that don’t beat all. I’ll ride out to your place and have a talk with her.”
Sam’s feet shuffled. “I asked her to leave. You won’t find her there. I don’t know where she is.”
“I see.”
“She’s my sister.” He felt his face heat as the defensive words slipped out.
“I understand. I’ll put Cade to looking for her when he returns.”
“Cade’s gone?”
Collier nodded. “Said he’d be back in a couple days.”
“Where did he go?”
“Don’t rightly know.” He shrugged. “He just said he had to be out of town.”
“Does he know about Miss Jordan? He’s a close friend of her family.”
Again, Collier nodded. “I figured maybe he’d taken it on himself to ride home and let her family know in person. So I been holding off on sending a telegram to her folks, just yet.”
“That’s probably wise.” Sam swallowed. A telegram seemed like such a cold way to find out a loved one had passed on. He hoped for their sakes that Cade had ridden to tell them in person. Still he ought to make certain too. “Since I’m the head of the school board, I should just make sure that’s what happened, though. I’ll telegram Miss Jordan’s brother to see if he’s heard from Cade.”
“Alright. I’ll just let you take care of that, then.”
As Sam made his way down the walk toward the telegraph office he tried to decide the best way to word the telegram. He didn’t want to say too much if Cade hadn’t had time to make it home yet. But he needed to know if Cade had contacted them about Sharyah. He paused outside the telegraph office door, hands coming to rest on his hips as he stared out over the street. Had it really been only yesterday that he walked with her into the trial? Sat next to her? Heard her testimony?
He sighed and pushed through the doors into the office. “Hi, Earl. I need to send a message to the Jordans in Shiloh.”
Earl picked up his pencil and licked the tip. “What’ll it say?”
“Just say, ‘Did Cade arrive? Will he be back soon?’”
“Alrighty. I’ll git it sent on right away.”
“Thanks, Earl.” Sam dropped the payment on the counter and headed outside once more. He wanted to go look at the teacherage for himself.
The farther Katrina rode from the house, the more her anger mounted. She’d given years of her life to help Sam build a profitable spread. She’d even been instrumental in getting him the job at the bank to supplement their income during the early years when funds were low. Now when they were on the verge of something big, he had the nerve to kick her out.
Well, if he thought she was just going to give up without a fight, he would know different soon enough. There wasn’t a snowflake’s chance in hell she was going to walk away from the opportunity to get her hands on a hundred thousand dollars.
She jerked the reins to one side to avoid a patch of scrub brush then reined the horse to a stop as a slow smile spread across her face. It was too early for calling, but she’d just wait here for a couple hours and then set her plan in motion. If Sam wouldn’t get the information for her, she’d just have to get it herself. She swung down and pulled a book from her saddle bags, spread out a blanket, and settled against a tree. Nothing was ever gained by being impatient.
Time passed quickly, and three hours later, she decided she’d waited long enough.
When she reached the outskirts of town she made sure to keep back in the trees and skirted around to where she could tie her horse just south of the Greens’ home. Darting down the alley between the bank and the feed store, she glanced both ways. All clear. Heart hammering in her breast, she stepped out into the open and set off with casual purpose. Had Sam made it into town, yet? She was only exposed to prying eyes for a few minutes as she hurried the one block down the boardwalk and stood on the Greens’ front porch waiting for them to answer to her knock.
Mrs. Green opened the door only a moment later. “Katrina! How nice of you to stop by. Do come in.” She stepped back and Katrina felt her shoulders ease as she brushed past the woman into the concealing welcome of the entryway. “Thank you, Mrs. Green.”
Mrs. Green turned from shutting the door, folded her hands together and arched her brows, obviously waiting for Katrina to state her business.
Katrina swallowed. “Ah… I’m sorry to call unannounced, but I’ve been so remiss in coming to see Missy since... well, lately. Is she available for a visit this morning?”
“Certainly. How very thoughtful of you. I know she’ll so appreciate the company.” Caroline stretched out her hands. “Here, let me take your shawl.”
Katrina resisted the urge to feel guilty as she undid the ties of her shawl, handed it off, and then followed Caroline to the parlor. She took the seat the woman indicated and waited while she went to fetch Missy. The silence wrapped around her, heavy and oppressive. She rolled her lower lip in and worked it with her teeth. She glanced around the parlor. The Greens had always been kind to Sammy and her. The parlor was spotless, as usual, the long gilt-framed mirror on the wall across from her reflected light from the window behind her, cutting off the head of her image with a blinding glimmer. She squinted and turned away, reminded of the time she and Missy had, as young girls, leaned over the back of the settee and made faces at themselves in that very mirror until they had fallen into giddy heaps on the floor.
She straightened her sleeves. Could she really do this?
Footsteps sounded in the entryway. She sat upright, pulled her bodice down with a firm jerk, and folded her hands into her lap as she pasted a smile on her face.
Yes. She could do this. Sam had left her no choice.
11
Missy swallowed and hid her trembling hands in the folds of her skirt as she sank onto the chair across from Kat in the parlor, not knowing quite what to expect from her oldest friend. Her nerves were already raw from the shock of Sharyah Jordan’s attempted murder right here in her own backyard. And she didn’t really feel up to making small talk with Katrina, the woman suspected of being the mastermind behind the whole thing, in the parlor.
A lump of irritation lodged in her throat. She hadn’t realized until this very moment how hurt she’d been by Kat’s shunning after the attack. What kind of friend was she, to only just now be coming around for a visit? Maybe Papa was right about her.
Lifting her teacup Missy sipped quietly. If Kat thought Missy would be the one to break the silence, she was far, far from correct.
Kat squirmed a little on the sofa and Missy calmly took another sip, eyeing her over the gilded rim.
Twisting her teacup in circles on its saucer, Kat sighed. “I can see you are upset. And you have every right to be. I owe you a tremendous apology. I should have come sooner. I just...,” she flipped her hand palm up and gave a little shrug, “…didn’t know what to say.”
A swell of forgiveness eased the lump in Missy’s throat. Of course it wouldn’t be easy to know what to say to a person after an incident like hers. Still, all she’d wanted was for just one friend to even come and simply sit with her – as Sharyah had done on several occasions.
She sighed. I shouldn’t be so selfish. Kat was here now, after all. Forcing a smile, she stood. “Set your mind at ease, Kat. All is forgiven.” She crossed the room to give her a hug, and she couldn’t help but hold on a little longer than necessary when Kat returned the embrace. It felt so good to connect with her again.
Finally allowing her friend to resume her seat, she said, “What have you heard about the fire at the teacherage? And how is Sam handling Miss Jordan’s… passing?” Papa had insisted that she tell no one that Sharyah had been here after the fire. Still someone out there knew! Someone who’d tried to shoot her!
Just the thought of losing Sharyah brought tears to the surface. She blinked hard to hold them back.
Kat peaked her brows, her mouth turning up at the corners. “You can’t tell me you aren’t a
t least a little happy to know that my brother’s affections will no longer be directed elsewhere, now can you?”
Missy felt the blood drain from her face and lifted her teacup to hide her shock. Surely the woman couldn’t think her so callous? To wish another woman dead just so she could have Sam to herself? She took too big of a gulp and the hot tea burned all the way down her throat.
Truth be told, she was the one who had pushed Sam away, in the first place.
The porcelain clinked as she plunked the cup down. “I could never wish ill on someone as nice as Sharyah – Miss Jordan. She is – was – the soul of kindness to me these past few weeks.” She pierced Kat with a pointed look before she dashed at the moisture on her cheeks. Maybe Kat was behind the fire.
“Of course you couldn’t, darling. Forgive me. I was trying to bring some levity to a very glum circumstance.”
Missy fiddled with the lace at her wrists and studied Kat openly. “Mama says it was murder.”
Kat flinched as though someone had just jabbed her with a quilting needle. “Murder? Posh! Why would she say that?” Her cup and saucer chattered as she set them on the side table.
“They are saying the door was wedged shut.” She studied Kat’s hands which were clasped so tightly in her lap that the color had drained from her knuckles. Then again, maybe she was taking this harder than she appeared to be.
“Wh-who would want to—” Kat leapt to her feet. “Oh, this is such a gloomy subject. I wanted our visit today to be cheery. Let’s do talk of something else.” She paced about the room as though searching for another topic, furling and unfurling her fan against one palm. “I know!” Rushing over, Kat sank down next to her on the divan. She squeezed Missy’s hands, her eyes sparkling. “Tell me about the diamonds you have coming!”
Missy blinked, letting the surprise of the request sink in as she extracted her fingers from Kat’s grasp. Sharyah was right. Katrina was interested in the diamonds. Cold terror crashed through her. How else could Kat know about the diamonds unless she’d had the letter Sharyah said she did?
Missy had told no one but Sam about them. Wait… Sam might have let something slip to his sister. She wouldn’t be surprised by that. Kat could coax a secret from a rotting stump.
As the silence stretched so did Kat’s lower lip. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “I know this can’t be something you want told all over town. Sammy was just so excited! And you mustn’t be upset with him,” Katrina, tapped Missy’s arm with her folded fan. “You know I’ve always been able to tell when Sammy had a secret. And I have to confess that I cajoled it out of him. But when he told me… Oh my, what a secret! I’m so thrilled for you!” She snapped open the fan and, with a few deft flips, set the tendrils of hair by her ears dancing. “Diamonds all the way from Africa! You’ll be the talk of the town! Now do tell. I’m dying to know the details!”
Her wheedling smile brought a chuckle of relief to Missy’s lips. “First off, they’re father’s diamonds. Not mine. He invested with a friend of his, Cecil Rhodes, and it appears to have paid off.”
“I’ll say! Sammy told me how much. A hundred thousand dollars in diamonds is quite a payoff!”
Missy felt another rumble of disquiet ease through her. “Yes, I suppose it is. We were all quite shocked when we learned how much Papa stood to make.”
Kat’s eyes sparkled. “So how soon until you’ll be traveling to Boston or New York for a shopping trip?”
Missy pursed her lips and thought for only a moment before she said, “Oh, the diamonds don’t get here until Friday’s stage, but we won’t be doing any extra shopping trips. At least not anytime soon. Papa did mention that he’d like to build a new church here in town.” She shrugged. “After that, I’m not sure what we will do with it.”
“Well, shopping trips or not, you will be the belle of the town!” Kat grinned and gave her a one armed hug, resting her head on her shoulder. “And speaking of shopping. I’m sorry I can’t stay for long. Sammy has me running someplace for him today, so I really need to be going, but I simply couldn’t stay away for another day. I’m so glad I stopped by.”
Missy returned her hug, but a rock of dread settled into the pit of her stomach. “I am too. Thank you.”
As she saw Kat to the door and watched her hurry down the walk, she frowned. Would her little deception work? The diamonds were due to arrive in two weeks, not on Friday. If Kat wasn’t being honest, she and her compatriots would be jailed and awaiting trial before the diamonds were ever even in town.
She would need to talk to Papa however about what she may have just set in motion. People would need to be warned.
She sighed. Now only time would tell if Kat was friend or foe.
Collier, standing in the alleyway where Katrina Perry would soon pass by, fingered the badge on his vest and counted slowly to ten before he stepped out onto the boardwalk.
Katrina nearly crashed into him in her hurry to disappear down the alley to the safety of the woods where her horse stood tethered. She squawked in a most unladylike fashion and leapt back a step. “Why, Sheriff Collier, what a surprise!” She smiled coyly and flipped open her fan, flapping it so fast they might be in danger of a tornado if he didn’t put a stop to it.
“Miz Katrina.” He tipped his hat. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a word with you.” He stepped into the alley and willed his heart to beat sure and steady.
Trepidation immediately stiffened her stance. “Sheriff I don’t know what my brother has told you but I can assure you—”
He held up a hand, silencing her. “Whatever beef is hanging between your brother and you is your business. I’m here to talk to you about the diamonds.”
Her fan hesitated for half a beat before it resumed its tempo. “Diamonds? What diamonds, Sheriff?”
Collier folded his arms. “Coyness don’t rightly suit you, Miz Perry. I help you get them, and you and I can split the proceeds fifty-fifty. But to do that you and I both know there’ll be a sight o’ people you’ll need my help gettin’ outta the way.”
For the space of five strokes the motion of the fan slowed, and then she stopped flapping it, altogether. “Sheriff, I can’t say that I have the foggiest notion what you mean. But it sounds like you want me to help you break the law. I simply can’t be a party to that. Good day.” She lifted her skirts and started to brush past him.
Not even bothering to turn and watch her leave, he leaned one shoulder into the building and spat, taking his time before he spoke quietly. “Your brother was by to see me today. He done tol’ me he thinks you were party to murderin’ the school teacher. If you was to walk any further, I’d have to pull out my gun to prevent your escape, and it’d be a shame for a purty little hide like yours to end up with holes in it.”
The sound of her footsteps stopped so quickly one might have thought she ran into something. He suppressed a smile of satisfaction. He had her attention at the very least.
Slowly he turned to face her. “What do you say, Miz Perry? Partners?”
Jason Jordan hammered the last board down on the floor of the barn loft and stood, arching his back in satisfaction. He let loose with a loud whoop. He couldn’t help himself. Their church had helped them erect the shell of this building but ever since he’d been working on the finishing touches and lots of little projects had kept him from getting it finished – tilling Nick’s garden, putting up the deer fence around it, clearing the field to the south where he planned to build their house next spring, breaking in the new horses and a host of other things – it felt so good to have the last of it complete.
He moved to the loft edge and looked down onto the stalls, so thankful for this blessing from the Lord.
Ron poked his head out of the tack room. “I take it you got finished up there.”
“Yep! Prettiest loft floor you’ve ever seen.”
Ron chuckled. “Well best you get down here and get your pretty gal out of the garden. It’s a might hot out there and I tried to talk her into goin
g inside, but she told me she was expecting, not dead, and that I should leave her be.”
Jason swung a leg over the edge and caught the first rung on the ladder. “You should have told me earlier! Where’s Sawyer?”
“I just come in through the tack room door to get you. She’s been in the garden for about ten minutes. I figured giving her a little leeway couldn’t hurt. Sawyer is with Conner down to the south corral.”
“All right, Ron. Thanks. Sorry to snap, I’ve just been a bit worried about her lately.”
Ron nodded and stepped out of the door way. Swinging out one hand palm up, he gestured Jason by. “Go on, now. She just set to puttin’ up a fuss in Spanish, so I figured I’d let you handle it, instead of trying to talk her into going back in again myself.” There was a twinkle in his eyes and one lid dropped in a quick wink.
Jason hooked his hammer on the two nails pounded into the tack room wall for just that purpose and slung the nail bag onto the corner of the work table. “Spanish, huh?” He rubbed his palms down the legs of his pants.
“Yep.”
He couldn’t help the grimace as he strode out the door and headed left down the path toward the garden lot. Anytime Nick was talking Spanish it meant someone was about to receive the sharp side of her tongue. He came around the end of the barn and stepped into sight of the garden but he couldn’t see Nicki anywhere. His pulse jolted. “Nick?”
“Aye!”
At the soft exclamation his heart started to pump in earnest. “Nicki?”
The bushy tassels at the top of a row of corn rustled violently. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling and calling for someone to come and you men…. Aye!” She launched into another string of unintelligible Spanish.
Jason jumped into a full out run. The only gate in the high wire deer fence lay at the far end of the garden. “I’m coming, Nick. Hang in there. Is it the baby?”
“Si!” She groaned.
Jason caught the post at the end of the fence with one hand and used his momentum to swing his body around the corner. “Ron! RON! Go for the doc!” He hoped the man had heard him through the barn’s wall.
The Shepherd's Heart Series: A Boxed Set Book Bundle Collection Volumes 1-4 Page 100
