Rogue Gunslinger & Hunting Down the Horseman

by B. J Daniels

  “None.” And yet... She remembered the way he’d looked into her eyes. What had he been looking for? She shuddered and let out a sigh. “I am so glad this book signing is over.”

  “He was at your table for quite a while,” Chloe said, not letting it go. “What else did he say?”

  “I don’t know,” TJ said. “My brain was on spin cycle. He said he felt as if he knew me from my books and that was probably crazy. Oh, and that I was the reason he built a cabin here. That is, my books were.”

  Annabelle’s eyes went wide. “That doesn’t sound good, but you don’t live here anymore. You live in New York City, so...”

  “He didn’t mention saving your life in the city yesterday morning?” Chloe asked.

  “No,” TJ said with a shake of her head. “I should have asked him but my suspicions all seemed so ludicrous at the time. He kept looking at me as if...” She shook her head. As if he really just wanted to ask her out? Or something else? She had no idea.

  “You knew your True Fan could be charming, right?” Chloe asked. “Maybe you should have accepted the date.”

  “No!” Annabelle cried. “What if he is...True Fan?”

  “Well, he changed his mind about asking me out, so the point is moot,” she pointed out. “Tommy Harwood asked me out though.” Her sisters gave her a blank look, which confirmed that Tommy had gone through high school as invisible as she had been.

  When she described him, Chloe said, “I do remember him vaguely.”

  “Kind of getting bald guy with the little potbelly?” Annabelle asked.

  “That’s him. He works at the auto shop.”

  They both quickly lost interest in him.

  “I saw Dot. She hasn’t changed a bit,” Chloe said.

  “Joyce Mason apparently works here,” TJ said, keeping her voice down. She thought Joyce might be hiding nearby listening. “She was a little strange.”

  Chloe put an arm around her as she got to her feet to leave. “You survived it.”

  She smiled. She had. But she was no closer to finding out if one of the people who’d come through the line was True Fan.

  “I say we go have some lunch,” Annabelle said.

  “It’s that or head straight to the Mint Bar,” Chloe said. “Up to you, Tessa Jane.”

  “Didn’t someone say food?” Annabelle asked innocently. “I’m starved.”

  Chloe looked to TJ and said, “Food. I’ve never seen you this thin.”

  “Yes, we’ll get you some good Montana eats and fatten you right up,” Annabelle agreed. “How about some chicken-fried steak?”

  TJ felt her stomach roil at the thought. “Yum.”

  Her sisters laughed as they headed out the door. It was a wonderful sound that felt like a much-needed salve. She told herself that her True Fan hadn’t been in Whitehorse today, hadn’t come through the line, hadn’t gone home with her latest book.

  And yet she couldn’t help but think about each and every one of the people who’d come through the line, including the young woman who’d been right before Silas Walker. TJ had been distracted, but now that she remembered...

  “I signed a book for Nellie Doll,” she said as they started up the street.

  Chloe stopped, coming up short. “Lanell? I didn’t see her in the line.”

  “She sent her niece to get it for her,” TJ said. “The niece had me sign it ‘to Nellie, just like old times.’”

  “That is kind of creepy, isn’t it?” Chloe said. “You and Nellie weren’t friends.”

  “No,” TJ said. “Far from it.” She tried to shake off the memory.

  “You aren’t thinking that Nellie...” Annabelle was walking backward in front of them, looking from TJ to Chloe and back again.

  “That she’s True Fan?” Chloe shook her head. “Anyway, didn’t you say that the letters had been sent from all over the country? I’m betting Nellie’s never been out of the county.”

  TJ nodded, remembering the girl Nellie had been in high school. She couldn’t imagine that she’d want to drop so much money on a hardcover book, especially TJ’s.

  She tried not to think about True Fan. She had so many amazing readers. Why did one fan have to spoil it? What bothered her was that she really didn’t know whether True Fan was a man or a woman. She’d had several women murderers in her books. In fact, in the book she’d just signed, the antagonist was a woman.

  Chapter Eight

  TJ woke with a headache after a night of weird dreams. She took a couple of OTC painkiller tablets after her shower. She was not looking forward to her interview with a reporter from the Billings Gazette later this morning.

  As she dressed, she could hear her sisters already downstairs in the kitchen. Opening her bedroom door, she followed the rich, wonderful scent of coffee down the stairs.

  She couldn’t help smiling to herself. There was something so comforting about being back in this house with her sisters. Just the sound of them lightened her step as well as her heart. As she walked into the kitchen, she headed straight for the cupboard where she knew she would find a mug.

  “Good morning!” Annabelle called from the table, where she and Chloe were already sitting with their coffee. “It’s a beautiful day.”

  TJ blinked as she looked outside to see the sun shining on the new snow, making it glitter blindingly. “Were you always this cheerful in the morning?” she asked her as she took a seat at the table.

  “Don’t you hate morning people?” Chloe said, and grinned, since she was one as well.

  “I thought we’d get a Christmas tree today,” Annabelle said with unusual jubilance. “Willie saved some of Grandma Frannie’s ornaments from the trip to the dump. We could decorate the tree later, and I need to do some Christmas shopping.”

  TJ could see what her sister was trying to do—get her mind off True Fan and yesterday’s book signing.

  “Is there a place to buy a tree in town?” Chloe asked.

  “Don’t be silly,” Annabelle said with a laugh. “We’re going to take a picnic lunch and go up into the mountains and cut one. I found an ax in the garage.”

  “Ax?” Chloe cried.

  “The Little Rockies?” TJ said, and both sisters turned to look at her.

  “Why do I detect a strange excitement in those three words?” Chloe asked. “You aren’t thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

  “Of course not,” TJ said. “It’s just been so long since I’ve been up there.” Both sisters were studying her. “Come on, he isn’t True Fan.”

  “He said you were the reason he moved here,” Chloe reminded her.

  “Yes, but a lot of my readers say they feel as if they’re in Montana when they read one of my books and they can’t wait to visit,” she pointed out. “It’s not that unusual.”

  “This one moved here,” Chloe said.

  “So you really don’t think he’s the one?” Annabelle asked suspiciously.

  “He did nothing to indicate that he was anything more than a normal fan,” TJ said truthfully. “So,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’ll pack the lunch. Let’s go to the mountains and get a tree.” She started at the knock on the door.

  “I wonder who that is,” Annabelle said as she went to answer.

  TJ heard her laugh. “You’re delivering mail door-to-door now?”

  As she stepped out of the kitchen, TJ saw the woman hand her sister a letter. “You got mail,” the woman said with a laugh as she looked past Annabelle to TJ. “Fan mail. Our own famous author. I tell people I know you—well, know that you used to live here—and they don’t believe me.”

  All TJ could do was nod and smile as her heart sank. She felt all the color leave her face as Annabelle thanked the woman and closed the door.

  “Carol from the post office,” her sister was saying. “She said this came for you yester
day and since you don’t have a post office box, she decided to drop it by. How’s that for service? TJ?” Annabelle had seen that she’d gone pale.

  Chloe took the envelope from Annabelle by the corner. “I’m sure there aren’t any prints, but...” She held it out to TJ.

  She didn’t reach for it. Even from where she stood, she could see the typewritten address. Any other city and the letter would have ended up in a dead file because it had no return address and was addressed only to TJ St. Clair, Whitehorse, Montana. Another joy of living in a small Montana town.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” Annabelle asked.

  TJ couldn’t find the words to speak.

  “I’ll open it,” Chloe said, and walked into the kitchen to get a sharp knife. She carefully opened the letter, using the point of the knife to unfold the discolored paper.

  How had the fan known she would be here? TJ groaned inwardly. Her fan knew she was in Whitehorse. Of course her fan knew; she’d just had a book signing. Not to mention she’d been recognized at the airport. That person had put it up on social media. Everyone in the world with a smartphone knew she was in Whitehorse—especially True Fan.

  “The writer mailed it to you in Whitehorse, Montana,” Chloe said. “So True Fan knew you were here. Only in a small town like this would you have gotten it,” she said, voicing what TJ had just been thinking.

  “Remember when we first came to live with Grandma Frannie?” Annabelle asked. “Frannie said Whitehorse wasn’t the end of the earth, but it was damned close. She said on a dark night you could see the fires of hell.” She laughed but quickly stopped when she saw that she wasn’t helping lighten the mood.

  “Wait a minute,” Chloe said. “This letter was mailed before you got here. Whoever sent it knew you were coming here. Either that or figured it would be forwarded to you.”

  TJ couldn’t wrap her head around that. She felt as if someone was always watching her, trying to figure out what she would do next. “How bad is it?” she asked from the kitchen doorway.

  Chloe turned to look at her. Annabelle was standing off to the side, hugging herself as if she didn’t want to know what the letter said any more than TJ did.

  “Read it to me,” she said, not wanting to touch it.

  Dear Tessa Jane,

  I would love to see the expression on your face right now. You really think you can get away from me? I told you, I’m your True Fan until the end. Now that I have your latest book, I hope you won’t disappoint me again. I’m not sure I can take any more disappointment from you. I’m not sure what I’ll do.

  I thought I could help you, make you a better writer. But you’ve continued to ignore me as if you think I have no value. That hurts me deeply. I’m not sure I can let you go on writing these books.

  The only way you can save yourself is if you made up for it in this recent book. Let’s both hope that you do.

  Still your True Fan until The End

  * * *

  “What is this person talking about?” Chloe asked as she finished reading.

  TJ couldn’t speak for a moment. The letters had started out being addressed to Ms. St. Clair. Then TJ. Now Tessa Jane. Each growing more familiar.

  “TJ, what is it this person wants you to do?” Annabelle asked, worry in her voice.

  She sighed. “One of the main characters told a lie but went unpunished.”

  “So punish the character,” Annabelle said. “It’s got to be more than that.”

  “True Fan also wants the lead character to fall for—”

  “Durango,” Chloe said with a curse.

  She looked at her sister. “You read my books?” This day was just filled with surprises.

  “Guilty. I hate to ask since it’s going to spoil your latest book for me, but Constance doesn’t end up with Durango?”

  TJ shook her head. “Durango dies in this book.”

  * * *

  SILAS HAD WOOD to chop and bring into the cabin. On the way home from town he’d heard that another storm was coming in. He’d bought groceries before leaving Whitehorse since he could be snowed in for a few days with the blizzard that was reportedly coming. As long as he had plenty of firewood, he would be fine.

  But when he’d reached home, the one thing he wanted to do more than anything else was start TJ’s book. Her books aside, he now couldn’t get the woman herself off his mind. When he’d looked into those amazing sea green eyes... He’d started to ask her out even though it was clear that he made her nervous. But just the thought of having a chance to talk to her about books, writing... Not that he hadn’t noticed how attractive she was. He shook himself. He had wood to chop.

  After unloading everything from town, he made short work of getting enough wood in for the next few days. The first few snowflakes drifted down as he started to carry in the last load of split logs. He stopped for a moment to look up at the heavens. Snowflakes whirled down from a white, low sky. The air was cold and crisp and smelled of the tall pines that surrounded him and his cabin.

  But it was the utter silence that captivated him. He’d never known such quiet after living in the city all his life except for his stint in the army overseas. His close friends thought he was crazy for coming here.

  “Why the middle of nowhere in Montana?” one friend had asked.

  “It’s because of that writer he likes,” another friend joked. “TJ St. Clair. How’d this guy talk you into something so crazy?”

  Silas had let his friends think that the books were written by a man. He’d thought so himself at first, so why not? “I liked the way the writer described the area. It’s exactly like in the books.”

  “Just be glad he’s not doing this because of some woman,” his friend said.

  “That’s the worst,” the other agreed. “We’d know for sure that he’s lost his mind.”

  They’d all laughed, Silas the heartiest.

  * * *

  TJ MET THE reporter at the Great Northern. She’d suggested it because she knew they would be able to find a quiet corner in the dining room to talk. After ordering coffee, the reporter began to ask her questions.

  She’d done dozens of interviews since publishing her first book. Reporters asked many of the same questions. Where do you get your ideas? Everywhere. She’d spent years being a wallflower and watching people. She was fascinated by what made each one tick. The good, the bad, the truly ugly all made for great characters.

  What inspired you to write this book? She’d seen a news story on television and while her story had taken a different twist, it had been the starting point.

  TJ answered one question after another, adding examples and little asides, all the time her mind on the mountain man, Silas Walker.

  Finally the reporter asked her what she knew now that she wished she’d known when she started. How hard it is.

  “This is the hardest work I’ve ever done,” TJ said truthfully. “It isn’t an eight-to-five job where you go home at night and forget it until the next day. There’s no Thank God It’s Friday. No paid vacation and sick leave. Once I start a book, those characters are with me until I finish their story. They wake me up in the middle of the night. They nag me until I finish the book.”

  “So one of the fallacies is that you have all this time on your hands because you don’t have to punch a time clock,” the reporter said.

  TJ laughed and nodded. “Everyone dreams of staying home, working in their pajamas, not having a boss looking over your shoulder. It’s a little more complicated than that. It’s a lot of long hours at a computer.”

  She was glad when the interview was over and she could walk back to the house where her sisters were eagerly waiting. By then, snow had begun to fall. The flakes were huge and drifted on the breeze.

  “Did you know it was supposed to snow?” Chloe asked later as Annabelle slowed the SUV to make the tur
n at the tiny town of Zortman stuck in the side of the Little Rockies. Zortman had a bar-café, post office, church and a small building used as a jail.

  Huge flakes drifted down from the dull white sky to stick on the windshield. The SUV’s wipers were having a hard time keeping up. Several inches of snow had already fallen on the road. Their tracks were the only ones so far on the road south.

  TJ could see patches of dark green through the falling snow as they approached the Little Rockies. The mountains rose from the prairie in steep rock cliffs and pine-covered slopes.

  Before the town of Zortman, set back against the cliffs, Annabelle turned off on a road that passed the cemetery and some summer campsites. As the road climbed deeper into the mountains, the snow seemed to fall harder.

  They had gotten bundled up, determined to get rid of the pall that had fallen over them after the latest letter from True Fan. Annabelle had thrown the ax into the back of the SUV along with some rope to tie the tree on the top—once they found it.

  “I’ll park up here and then we can get out and walk,” Annabelle announced. “I’m sure we’ll find the perfect tree.”

  Chloe groaned as she looked out the window. “I know it’s beautiful, but I don’t like this. What if we get stuck?”

  “It’s not that far of a walk into Zortman,” Annabelle said as she kept driving up the narrow, snowy road through the dense pines. “Also there are cabins up here. I’m sure we can find someone to help us.”

  Chloe made a skeptical sound and turned up the radio as a Christmas song came on. She began to sing along, with Annabelle joining in. TJ didn’t feel like singing. She’d seen a newer mailbox back on the county road. S. Walker. Silas Walker’s cabin must be up this way.

  She hadn’t wanted to worry her sisters, but there was something about the man. So much so that she had to know if he was True Fan. This latest letter made her even more suspicious that it had to be him. The postmark on the letter had been Whitehorse.

  “So True Fan knows someone in all these places where the letters have been mailed,” Chloe had said back at the house before they’d left. “She or he gets friends to mail them, saying it’s a game she/he is playing with you.”