Jen Turano - [Ladies of Distinction 02]

by A Most Peculiar Circumstance

  “I told you, I don’t know, but Jud Hansen and another one of my deputies, Peter Cunningham, are behind her disappearance.”

  “You don’t know where they are?” George pressed.

  “I wasn’t even sure Peter was involved until I saw him on the street just a short time ago. I tried to trail him, but Peter’s one of the best trackers I’ve ever known, and he lost me.”

  Theodore’s arm slowly lowered. He gestured to a chair. “I understand that time is of the essence, but we need to understand what we’re going up against before we leave this house.”

  Sheriff Dawson looked as if he wanted to argue, but hurried to the chair and sat down. He took a moment, as if he needed to collect his thoughts, and then nodded. “I knew something was wrong months ago. Women kept showing up in Gilman, and then they’d just disappear, never to be seen in town again. I started investigating Wallace and Carter, and it took me a while to understand they were selling the women. I was going to move in for an arrest the day you showed up, Mr. Wilder, but everything fell apart after that. Wallace and Carter disappeared, and I readily admit I had doubts regarding my own men. I thought at least one of them was in on it, but I couldn’t prove anything, and I didn’t trust anyone.”

  “You should have come to me the moment you stepped foot into New York,” Theodore said.

  “They are my men. I thought it was my problem. I realize that was foolish, but again, I didn’t know whom to trust. When Jud and Peter disappeared from town, followed by Deputy Black, I hoped they were simply pursuing Wallace and Carter. After I found that shed, well, I knew something beyond selling women was in play. I followed my men to New York, and I’ve spent the past few weeks trying to find Jud, but he’s gone to ground. He’s highly trained, has a fortune at his disposal, and I fear, from what I found in back of his house, he’s insane.”

  “What did you find?”

  “He found garments and trinkets belonging to ladies, all of them giving testimony to the fact Jud Hansen has been a busy man.” Theodore glanced over his shoulder and settled his sights on the door, where a large gentleman who looked slightly familiar stood. “He also found silk ties, some of them sporting a bit of blood, which we’ve come to believe were used to keep those women tied up in Jud’s house.”

  “Who are you?” George demanded.

  The man moved into the room. “I’m William Black, the only trustworthy deputy Sheriff Dawson has at his disposal. I felt it prudent to join your meeting.”

  “Did you find any bodies with those trinkets?” Theodore asked as he strode over to stand beside William.

  “Fortunately no, but that doesn’t mean bodies aren’t buried somewhere in the woods,” William said. “My concern at the moment is the date.”

  Theodore frowned. “The date?”

  “Jud Hansen was unnaturally attached to his mother. She died on Christmas Eve a few years back, and I don’t know why—call it intuition, if you will—but I have a feeling he’s planning something to commemorate her passing.”

  “Do you really think there’s a chance the women are still alive?” Theodore asked.

  William glanced at the clock before he nodded. “I would have to say yes, at least for now. I’ve hunted with Jud before, and he enjoys the hunt. If Jud has targeted this date as a warped way of honoring his mother, he’ll want to draw the women’s fear out. I think he’ll wait until right around midnight to make his move.”

  “That means we don’t have much time, and we don’t know where he is. Every warehouse and deserted building has been searched and searched again. We don’t even know if he’s in the city,” Theodore said.

  “He’s in the city,” Sheriff Dawson said. “I told you, I saw Peter Cunningham out on the streets. They’ll be together. Peter always idolized Jud.”

  “Would he kill for him?” Ethel asked, suddenly speaking up.

  “I imagine he would,” William replied.

  What sounded like a nervous cough caught Theodore’s attention, and he turned and discovered Violet standing in the doorway. He gestured her into the room.

  “I do beg everyone’s pardon for eavesdropping,” Violet said, “but me and the girls couldn’t seem to help ourselves.”

  Theodore glanced up and saw Hannah, Lottie, and Sarah peering through the side of the door. He waved them in and watched as they inched over beside Violet.

  “You said that Jud fellow had money,” Sarah said, looking at Sheriff Dawson.

  Sheriff Dawson nodded. “He does.”

  “Then he’ll be in one of the big houses, won’t he?” Lottie asked. “He’s planning this out like a celebration. He won’t want it to be done in the stews.”

  Theodore’s breath caught in his throat as Lottie’s words settled in his mind. He strode over to her, bent down and kissed her soundly on the cheek, then straightened. “You, my dear ladies, are geniuses. That’s exactly where Jud will be, and I’m ever so thankful all of you insisted on returning to town to keep a vigil for Arabella. You might have just saved her life. All we have to do now is figure out which house he’s rented.”

  “Dot would know,” Violet said. “She keeps good track of all the rich men who move into town.”

  “We need to find Dot.”

  “She’ll be down at the docks this time of night,” Violet said.

  Sheriff Dawson got to his feet. “I know you have no reason to trust me, but this has been my fault. I’d like to come with you to help set matters right.”

  Theodore considered him for a brief moment. “You can come, but if you do anything to jeopardize this mission, or if I discover you’ve lied to me, I won’t hesitate to hurt you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Theodore walked to his desk and scribbled a note, turning to hand it to Ethel. “Have this delivered to my office. A few of my men have been staying there, and they’ll get the word out.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Agatha said.

  “No,” Theodore and Zayne said together.

  “I can’t just sit here and wait,” Agatha said, fresh tears pouring down her face.

  “You’ll be doing me a service by staying with my grandmother,” Theodore said. He lowered his voice. “I can’t concentrate on finding Arabella if I’m worried about you, and Katherine is due to arrive any minute. I know she would appreciate your company.”

  Agatha bit her lip, wiped the tears from her face, and nodded before she stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on Theodore’s cheek. She turned to Zayne. “Be careful.”

  Zayne looked at her, took a step forward, and then stopped.

  Agatha rolled her eyes, moved in front of him, and kissed him on the cheek. “I don’t think Helena would mind, not given the circumstances.”

  Zayne nodded, bowed to Ethel, and quit the room.

  “Coming, Grandfather?” Theodore asked.

  “Let me kiss my girl, and I’ll be right behind you.”

  Theodore nodded and strode out of the room with Zayne, Sheriff Dawson, and William Black walking by his side down the hallway. “How long did you suspect something was going on with Jud?” he asked as they made their way outside and waited for the horses to be brought around.

  “I think I always knew,” Sheriff Dawson said. “I just chose to ignore the little voice that kept telling me there was something wrong with him. I felt sorry for him; it’s one of the reasons I hired him. I’d heard the rumors regarding that mother of his. She kept him close to her, too close, and I always thought he must have been relieved when she died.”

  “How did she die?”

  “Jud told me she passed away in her sleep.”

  “No one examined the body?”

  “He held a funeral for her. There were no signs of foul play.”

  “Given the man’s questionable sanity, do you think he might have done away with her?”

  “That is something I shall certainly ask him if we find him,” Sheriff Dawson said.

  The arrival of the horses cut the conversation short. Theodore pulled himsel
f into the saddle, turned, and watched as his grandfather, Zayne, William Black, and Sheriff Dawson did the same, and then urged his horse forward.

  They had a plan now. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it gave him a purpose and a sense of renewed hope, and that was all he could ask for at this point.

  Time sped by quickly as he steered his horse toward the docks, and before he knew it, ships were coming into sight, as well as a group of ladies who were obviously working the streets. He pulled his horse to a stop and jumped off, relief flowing through him when he recognized one of the ladies as Dot. She saw him and waved, hurrying over to him.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “We’ve gotten a lead on the missing women, but we’re running out of time. I need to know if you’re aware of any wealthy gentlemen who might have recently moved into one of the big houses in the city.”

  Dot tilted her head, her eyes vacant for a moment, before she smiled. “Two men moved into that empty mansion in Irving Place right next to Gramercy Park.”

  “When did they move in?”

  “Less than a month ago, and they weren’t friendly.”

  “Could be them,” Zayne said, coming to stand beside Theodore.

  “Would you ask the girls if they remember any other wealthy men moving into the city?”

  Dot nodded, strode back to the women, and returned less than two minutes later. “There have been a couple others who’ve moved in, but we think they had families with them.”

  A church bell rang eight times.

  “It’s getting late,” Theodore said. “We should scout out that house by Gramercy Park.” He turned to Dot. “Would you be willing to travel with us and show us which house it is?”

  Dot nodded and waited for Theodore to climb back on his horse before taking his hand and swinging up behind him. No one spoke as they galloped through the streets, and Theodore was thankful to have the time to get his thoughts in order.

  Arabella might still be alive.

  He could not let her down again if she was.

  “It’s up there,” Dot said some fifteen minutes later, pointing to an impressive house that seemed to be completely dark.

  Theodore pulled his horse to a stop, jumped off, and helped Dot down. He handed her the reins and pointed down the street. “You need to stay under the gas lamps, Dot. I don’t want you to take any chances. Do not even think about coming in after us, no matter what you might hear.”

  Dot looked as if she might argue, but Theodore tilted her chin up with one finger and glared at her. “I mean it.”

  “Fine, I’ll stay put.”

  Theodore nodded and turned, gesturing to the other men to join him. “We’ll go around back. Keep your pistols at the ready, gentlemen. I think you’re going to need them.”

  They filed silently across the street, keeping to the shadows, and then slid in between the houses to reach the back of the house. Theodore stopped and held up his hand. “Do you hear that?”

  “Someone’s yelling, and it sounds like a lady,” George rasped.

  Theodore’s blood ran cold. “We have to get in there. Now.”

  He edged up to the house, thinking that someone was in for a nasty surprise if this was the wrong house. He moved to a window and tried to open it, biting back a groan when he realized it was locked. He moved on, trying window after window to no avail. They were all locked.

  He paused underneath a bay window, rising slightly to peer through a sliver of glass where a faint glow of light slid out between curtains. What he saw caused rage to course through him.

  Arabella was standing beside a man he thought might be Deputy Cunningham, and that man was holding Arabella’s arm, almost as if he were trying to hold her back. Her mouth was moving rapidly, and then his heart stopped beating for just a second when she raised her free hand, shook it at someone he couldn’t see, and then spat on the floor.

  Jud Hansen suddenly came into view, and Theodore’s gaze went immediately to the knife the man was gripping in his hand. Jud gestured to where Arabella had just spat, then turned and disappeared from sight for a second, and then reappeared with a woman he grabbed around the neck right before pressing the knife to the woman’s throat.

  Theodore didn’t give himself a moment to think as he took a few steps back and then ran as hard as he could toward the window, leaping at it and covering his face with his hands as his body hit the glass.

  Chaos descended the moment he hurtled into the room. He jumped to his feet and ran straight at Jud, stopping abruptly when the man shoved the woman away and grabbed Arabella, pulling her up against him as the knife moved closer to the delicate skin of her throat.

  Jud sent him a look that had evil stamped all over it, but then the man glanced to his right even as obscenities began to spill from his lips.

  Theodore’s gaze shot behind Jud, and he could barely believe the sight that met his eyes.

  Countless women, clothed in barely-there dresses, were rushing toward Jud, gripping what appeared to be homemade weapons in their hands.

  “Stop,” Jud screamed, “or I swear upon my mother’s grave that I’ll kill this woman right before your eyes.”

  “Do as he says,” Theodore yelled, and to his relief the women stopped in their tracks.

  “Mr. Wilder, how good of you to join us,” Jud spat, his breathing ragged. He pulled Arabella closer. “I was going to save this delicious little piece for last, but it seems she’ll have to go first.” He moved the knife almost lovingly down Arabella’s face. “Look, love, your knight in shining armor seems to have survived that nasty bullet I put in him.”

  Theodore caught Arabella’s gaze and shook his head slightly when it appeared she was about to say something. He couldn’t risk Jud reacting out of anger. He needed to figure out a way to distract the man until the other men—more specifically, his grandfather—could come to their aid.

  “Now, Jud, there’s no need for you to kill anyone,” Theodore said. “At this point, no real harm has been done, so I’m sure you and I could work something out.”

  “Save your breath,” Jud snapped. “You and I both know that if I was to let this little filly go, you’d kill me without a blink of an eye.”

  It truly was unfortunate that he was dealing with a member of the law.

  He needed to buy some time.

  “Why did you take them, Jud?”

  Jud shrugged. “I like women.”

  “And you like to keep mementos of them, don’t you?”

  “How do you know about my mementos?”

  Theodore summoned up a laugh. “Why, Jud, I know quite a bit about you at this point. I know your mother abused you, and that you probably killed her, making it appear like a natural death.” He nodded to Deputy Cunningham. “I also know that you somehow convinced that idiot over there to do some of your dirty work for you. Is he aware you planned on making him your dupe?”

  “I’m no dupe. Jud and I have been hunting ladies together for a while now, and he told me my skills have begun to rival his,” Peter Cunningham snarled, but before he could say more, Jud interrupted.

  “Tell me, Mr. Wilder, how did you find out about my little mementos? I thought I kept them well-hidden in my shed. I know you learned nothing about me when you scurried back to Gilman with all your little questions, or else you’d have come searching for me long before now.”

  “It’s true that I never figured out the part you played in this madness . . . until now. And while I don’t appreciate the fact that you’ve put the woman I love in harm’s way, I just might let you live if you let Arabella go.”

  “Oh, how sweet,” Jud growled, “you’re declaring your feelings. I would have never taken you for an emotional sap.” His eyes began to gleam. “I won’t let her go.”

  “Then I’ll have to kill you.”

  “Yes, I imagine you will, or at least you’ll try,” Jud said, and then he laughed, the sound causing Theodore to tense.

  “Peter said something about the two of you
hunting,” Theodore said slowly. “If you enjoy the hunt, I imagine you must also enjoy pitting yourself against worthy adversaries.”

  Jud tilted his head, even as the knife he was holding moved closer to Arabella’s throat. “What are you suggesting?”

  “You know I’m considered a dangerous man. Why don’t you and I have a go at each other?”

  “I prefer delicate flesh these days,” Jud said, sliding the knife up to caress Arabella’s cheek.

  Theodore saw red, and his hands clenched into fists. Swallowing his anger, he forced a laugh. “Come now, Jud, I’m more of a challenge. Arabella’s just a little thing, hardly a worthy opponent for someone of your skill. Let her go, and then if you do best me, she’ll still be here.”

  Jud’s expression turned to considering. He nodded at Theodore’s pistol. “You’re armed. It would hardly be a fair fight.”

  “I’ll fight you without weapons. You know I’ve recently been shot, so the advantage will lie with you.”

  “Theodore, he won’t fight fair,” Arabella yelled as she began to struggle, the motion causing Jud’s knife to nick her cheek.

  Rage took over Theodore’s every pore as he watched a trickle of blood run down Arabella’s face. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he was just about to attack when Jud laughed and gestured with his head to Peter.

  “Come, get the girl, Peter. It’s time I showed this fool what a real man is.” He thrust Arabella at Peter, handed the man his knife, and smiled at Theodore. “You didn’t think I was going to completely let her go, did you? Now, drop your pistol like a good boy, and let’s get on with this.”

  Theodore drew in a breath, forced his thoughts to calm, dropped his pistol, and waved Jud forward.

  Jud dropped his head and rushed forward, plowing into Theodore with bone-crunching force. Punches began to fly, blood splattered the floor, and Theodore could hear screams echoing throughout the room. He didn’t, and couldn’t, take his attention away from Jud. The man was fueled by insanity, and he was strong, one of the strongest men Theodore had ever fought. A fresh bout of fury flowed over Theodore when out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed Peter holding the knife on Arabella, the man’s expression filled with anticipation. He drew back his arm and let it fly, the impact causing Jud to stumble backward, blink, and then run straight toward Arabella, his eyes wild. Theodore heard a whistle, looked to the window, and caught the pistol George threw to him.