by Jovana
Before she could take a breath, his mouth covered hers, and the warmth of his kiss spread through her, making her feel positively drunk even though she hadn’t had a drop. With a desire so strong she could taste it, she thought of the bold, ornate name on the hull just below her. No matter how she fought against it, it seemed she couldn’t escape the magic of The Desire. Now she knew why the name of this riverboat was so appropriate.
A long, drawn out moan escaped her lips when she felt his leg pressing against her, and her own legs parting subtly in anticipation of more. What was it that welcomed his cock as it moved ever-so-gently against her, and forced the breathy whispers of invitation out of her mouth?
“Mr. Morgan…”
“Clint,” he whispered.
And then suddenly the magic was broken.
“What are you two up to?”
She jumped as if guilty of some heinous sin, and turned away ashamed. My God, she was going to propose that they go back to her cabin, to engage in—Oh, God, she had to get off this ship!
Clint turned and said, “We were discussing sin and soap suds.”
“Sin and soap suds, huh?”
“So, Val, what are your views on the subject of sin and soap suds?”
“I’m for both. Sin to get you dirty, and soap suds to get you clean.”
Clint turned back to Lila. “I guess that about says it for me, too. How about you, Ms. Palmer? I’ve heard your views on soap suds. What about sin? Are you for it or against it?”
She turned quickly, her face burning with embarrassment. After smoothing her hair and dress, she said, “I’ve never heard such a ridiculous conversation in my life. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go back into the casino.”
* * * *
While they watched her pass through the swinging doors, Val leaned over to his brother. “Did I interrupt something?”
“I’m not sure,” Clint said, thoughtfully.
“Why not let me have a try?” Val asked.
“Like you did the other night when you barged in on her with a bouquet of roses? You really like to play dangerous games, don’t you?”
“Dangerous games? That’s overstating it a little, don’t you think? She’s just a woman, Clint. A good-lookin’ woman, I’ll admit, but still a woman.”
“You just remember who the hell she is, Val.”
“I’m not about to forget that. What I can’t figure is why she’s aboard a riverboat. It just doesn’t make sense. Unless, of course, she’s not planning to pull any jobs while on board. Now, that would make sense. After all, if she were to get caught, a boat is too confined. Nowhere to run.”
“Hell, man,” Clint said, surprised, “this is a rich ship. I can’t see her coming aboard unless she’s planning to pull the job of the century. If I were going to make a big heist, it’s where I’d be. Think about it. A rich ship like this? Hell, Val, it’s just too big a temptation.”
“Nah, you got rocks in your head.”
“By the way, knowing who she is, I’d advise you to keep your wits about you, brother. No more late night visits to this little redhead unless you want to get burned.”
“May I remind you that you were the one that had her pinned to the rail here?”
Clint smiled. “Don’t worry. I can handle her.”
“Sure you can,” Val said as he watched his little brother swagger off into the night. “Just like you can handle a poisonous rattler.”
Chapter 4
The time is now, Lila thought as she looked around the casino.
The hour was late. The Morgan brothers were back behind the black curtain, so she wouldn’t have to deal with them, and the captain was sitting at a table in the restaurant having his usual ‘Captain’s Table’ dinner with several of his friends.
She stayed only long enough to make sure several people saw her and remembered her. She made a big splash at the gaming tables, laughed, drank, and gambled a bit until she finally decided the time was right. She’d made her appearance. Now she needed to take care of business. When no one was looking, she hurried out, quickly making her way back to her cabin.
Glad to get rid of the tight corset, and hose that made her legs itch, she practically tore at them in a rush to get into her work clothes. The dark, thin cloth adhered to her body like a snake skin, and was so resilient, her movements were fluid, not restricted. By the time she was through dressing, a velvet bag with a drawstring hung on her belt, and her burnished red hair was pushed up in a black cap.
After smearing her face with wheel grease, she stepped out into a semi-dark hallway, and prowled like a cat, her steps unheard as she crept through the darkness. She could hear the festivities still going on in the casino, and knew everyone on the riverboat would be there. The gambling drew them like flies, and every night the casino was filled to capacity.
Only the very rich could afford the ridiculous prices they charged for these excursions, and she knew with a little planning it would pay off for her, as well. As she crept through the early morning darkness, she stayed close to the walls, constantly looking behind her to make sure she wasn’t being followed. The further she crept, the less light the wall sconces offered, sinking the area deeper and deeper into darkness. For some, it was romantic, for others, it had an intimate appeal, but for Lila, it offered countless shadows in which to hide.
“Our cabin is next door. I guess Val here must have—”
The smooth voice lingered in her mind until she discovered that she had reached her destination. She immediately reached into the bag, pulled out a long pick, and inserted it in the keyhole. With a few maneuvers, she managed to guide the pick through the familiar openings until she felt the metal tumbler and followed it with the sharp instrument. It took only minutes for her to come to the edge and force it back.
When she heard the muffled click, she knew the door was unlocked, and turned to look around. Everything was still and quiet, so she gently turned the knob and slipped in. Moving swiftly, she found the bedroom and went in. The moment she entered, a velvet box on a cluttered dresser top seemed to jump out at her. As the excitement of the moment whirled inside her, she felt herself tingling with anticipation, and rushed over to open it.
Over time, she had learned how to tell the difference between real stones and mere glass. She looked closely at each one as she handled them, and then slowly, one by one, she dropped the jewels into her bag. Hearing the small, lovely clicks that sounded as they clinked against each other gave her a sense of excitement that she could get no other way. Once she’d taken them, she carefully raked her gaze around the cabin in case there was money lying loose, but she didn’t see any. Time was short, so she got out quickly, eased the door closed behind her, and hurried down the hall to her own cabin.
* * * *
Dawn was just creeping up over the horizon when Lila walked back into the casino. She made the rounds at the gaming tables, and mingled with the crowd as if she’d never left. She placed bets at one table, and then another. She didn’t particularly care whether she won or lost, she just wanted to be seen, to appear as if she’d been there all night. She talked, flirted, and drank the drinks handed to her while going from table to table. She was just beginning to feel the lateness of the hour when she noticed the Morgan brothers at another table.
She considered speaking to them, until she saw tiny bursts of light dance off their clothes, making Lila’s interest in them more than sexual. To keep from being seen, she hid behind a thick velvet drape and watched as they cashed in their chips. Like a cat on the prowl, she followed them out, stalking the brothers to find out which cabin they were in…the right, or the left of her.
She smiled when she saw Clint stop at the door on the right, and crouch slightly to unlock it while she stood within the shadows, engrossed in the glitter and glow of their cufflinks, diamond stickpins, and silver money clips. Watching them, she thought of how clean they were. She didn’t see a speck of dirt or traces of red dry skin where the sun had beat down on th
em while they worked in the fields.
No sun-bleached shirts for them, no ragged overalls or gritty trail dust on their trousers. A vulgar six-gun wouldn’t do for them, they had to have a small, sophisticated Derringer, so ornate and fancy that it might put someone’s eyes out if they looked too closely. After a full night of gambling, they still reeked of witch hazel, and looked as if they’d just stepped out of a barber shop.
Did they ever stop to think about the raw-boned hand that washed their lace-edged shirts in a leaky bucket? Did they ever think about the exhausted woman that had laid them over an ironing board to take out the wrinkles? No doubt the woman had to use bluing in the water to make them as white as snow, and a touch of starch had to be applied on the lace to keep it from wilting. Did it matter to these two that her hands might have bled from the strong solution? No. She knew the only worry these two brothers had was over a bad gambling hand, or a watered-down drink.
Sudden anger flared inside her when she thought of the kind of life both she and her mother had lived. Lila had escaped, but her mother died, the hard work finally killing her. She couldn’t help the anger she felt at the rich people who never had to work a day in their life. People just like these two. Her scorching gaze dug into the backs of the brothers who were closing the door behind them, leaving her standing in the darkness.
Maybe that’s why she stole, because she hated those with money, because no matter how much wealth she accumulated, she would always be left standing in the darkness.
* * * *
The next night as Val and Clint were preparing to go out, a subtle rap sounded on their door. Val stepped over to answer it, and found two Pinkerton men looking as if they had something on their minds.
Val looked from one to the other. “Matt, Jake, what brings you out of your dusty little offices?”
“Evenin’, Val, Clint. I know you’re off duty, but we might need your help with an investigation we’ll be conducting on board.”
Val smiled blandly, and cut his knowing gaze toward his brother. “Is that right? What kind of investigation?”
“Val, don’t play dumb. Surely you’ve heard about the theft that took place just last night.”
“So, handle it yourself. Like you said, we’re off duty.” He gave the man a stiff smile. “We’re just here for a little gambling and socializing.”
“Ordinarily, I would, but this job’s too important for just two men. There are two decks on this riverboat. We can take care of the lower deck, but someone has to handle the upper deck.”
“What if I told you, you didn’t have to do an investigation at all?”
“I’d need to know why.”
“Just take my word for it. Everything’s being taken care of.”
“Val, you know I can’t accept that.”
“All right,” Val began, “do your investigation, but I’m warning you, one word about Pinkerton men being aboard this ship will send the thief running.”
“But whoever this thief is must expect an investigation to take place. I’m sure he’s already planning to run.”
“It’s not a he.”
Matt gave Val an incredulous look. “The thief is a woman?”
Val nodded. “La Flame.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God.” He looked from Val to Clint. “How do you know this?”
“Because Clint and I have had our eyes on her since we boarded The Desire at New Orleans.”
“Then why the hell did the captain alert the Black Dispatch?”
“Because he doesn’t know who we are, or what we’re trying to do. All he knows is that a robbery has taken place, so naturally he’s going to call for help. That’s why you men are here.”
“Val, when you’re on a job, the first thing you do is alert the sheriff, owner, or authority who you are and what your plans are. You know that.”
“Look, we didn’t expect this to happen, but it did, and now we have to play it out the best way we can. The captain thinks we’re here to do a little gambling and socializing. If we tell him now, it would probably get out and ruin everything.”
“When were you planning on telling him?”
“Soon, but we have to wait until we have proof. Hell, we weren’t even sure it was her when we saw her on the dock at New Orleans. Right now, we don’t have anything to prove who she is but a scratched up etching on a ragged old wanted poster. We need more than that. The worst thing we could do is to accuse her with nothing to show the captain. She can always deny it, and what do we have to prove it? Nothing. Don’t you see? We need time. If she’s who we think she is, it won’t be long until she shows her hand.”
“Well, it sounds like it could work.”
“Believe me, it can’t fail,” Val said. “Clint and I are going to act as decoys. We’ll flash our valuables around, and she won’t be able to resist them. We’ll know when that happens, and that’s when we’ll make our arrest, when we catch her in the act. That way, she can’t deny it. We’ll take possession of the evidence and then inform the captain.”
“Why all the secrecy?”
“In this case, it’s necessary. The woman is famous. If people find out La Flame is aboard, it would cause a panic. Besides, people don’t talk around authority.”
“What cabin is she in?”
He pointed toward the wall. “She’s right next door. Her name is Lila Palmer.”
Matt looked around at his partner. “What do you think, Jake?”
“It looks to me like they’ve got things well in hand. I don’t see any need in conducting this investigation.”
“Look,” Val said, “I’ve been thinking. If you stop now, everyone aboard ship will get suspicious. The way I see it, maybe you should go ahead and make it look like you’re trying to catch the thief. It’ll also throw any suspicion off us, and make the people aboard feel a lot safer.”
“What about the lady? Won’t she run like you said?”
“We’ll just have to take that chance, I guess. Clint and I will make sure we know where she is at all times.”
The man nodded. “Okay then, we’ll get started tomorrow morning.”
* * * *
The moment the door closed, Val looked over at Clint with dread in his eyes. “We’ve got ourselves in one hell of a pickle here. Do you realize we could lose our jobs if Lila finds out who we are and tells the agency what happened in her cabin?”
“Relax. She has no idea. To her, we’re just two horny riverboat gamblers.”
“Yeah, but she’s got to find out who we are at some point. If she tells, we’ll be accused of handling this investigation improperly.”
“We don’t have to tell her we’re with Pinkerton. We’ll just tell her we’re bounty hunters, which is not entirely a lie. That should satisfy her.”
“Well, maybe it’ll work.” Val put his hands up to his face and brought them down in frustration. “God, what made us do it?”
“It’s this damned ship! There’s something about it.”
“It’s your fuckin’ hungry-as-hell dick! And mine!”
“Well, it’s too late to go back and undo it. We’ll just have to try and stay away from her.”
“It’s times like this that make me wish we were still digging for oil down in Texas. Beautiful country, and not a damn thing on our minds but poker and saloon girls. If we hadn’t got sidetracked by old Dooley and got hooked up with Pinkerton, we might have had a little of that Texas Tea right now.”
“The only thing we got going for us is we’re out in the middle of the Delta, and it’s a long way to shore.”
“Yeah. Let’s just hope that the lovely Ms. Palmer is not a good swimmer.”
Chapter 5
The pounding on Lila’s door woke her suddenly. Rushing to get up, she flung a robe around her shoulders while hurrying to see who it was. Quickly opening the door, she stared into the face of a man with a thick mustache and eyebrows. His face wore a serious frown, and his voice was deep with concern.
“Hello, m
a’am, my name is Matt Clemson, and this here is Jake Dawson. We’re from the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and we’re here investigating a burglary. The people in cabin 34 have had some very expensive jewels taken from their cabin and think it happened last night while they were in the casino.”
“Really, sir, what has that to do with me?”
“We’re questioning all the guests on the riverboat. It’s possible someone might have seen something.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve seen nothing. I was at the casino all night myself.”
“Did anyone see you there?”
“Everyone, I suppose.” She hesitated, and then continued. “Oh, yes, come to think of it, I talked to the captain and the Morgan brothers. I’m sure if you ask they’ll tell you they saw me.”
The man nodded. “Thank you, ma’am. We’ll do that.”
She slammed the door shut, her nerves jumping.
Pinkerton!
It was a name that she feared more than any other.
No one knew who La Flame really was, no tintypes had ever been made, and no etchings created as far as she knew. Pinkerton had always been a land agency. She wasn’t aware they had spread their men as far as the riverboats. After rushing back to her bedroom, she pulled out her suitcase and began packing. She’d planned to make several more hits while on board, but now she would have to think up some clever excuse and get off the boat at the next port.
She hurried around her bedroom, throwing everything she had into a scratched up, brown, square bag she used for traveling. She then took her velvet drawstring bag that held her stolen jewels, and her working clothes, rolled them up, and pushed them down into the false bottom of her bag. When everything was done, she quickly left her room and made her way toward the captain’s quarters to tell him that she would be getting off the boat at the next port. While on her way there, she found him with several guests crowded around him.
“Captain,” she called out.
When he looked over and saw her, he said. “Ms. Palmer, I’m so glad to run into you. I’m just taking the names of those passengers who wish to leave the riverboat at the next port. It’s a shame everyone’s trip has to be cut short. I hope you don’t intend to leave us, as well.”
