Gambling on the Outlaw

by Margaret Madigan

  Daisy dropped the mending from her hands and hurried over to throw her arms around me.

  “You poor girl,” she cooed, hugging me and stroking my hair.

  I wept on her shoulder, holding onto her as if she were an anchor in a stormy sea. All I could see every time I closed my eyes was Isaac hanging dead at the end of a rope. I struggled to breathe just thinking about it. I had to find a way to stop it.

  When I’d finally cried myself out for the most part and was down to hiccupping sobs, Daisy led me to the table and helped me into a chair.

  “Tell us what happened.”

  Lydia offered me a cup of water, then hovered nearby wringing her hands. “We’ve been so worried about you,” she said.

  I sipped the water and sniffled. When I met Lydia’s gaze, there were tears in her eyes, too.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to hurt you so bad.”

  I stood and pulled her into a hug. “I know. I’m sorry I hurt you, too.”

  “Wait,” Daisy said. I sat while she hurried to her room and came back with a handkerchief, which she handed to me. She also brought a whiskey bottle. While I dried my face, she poured us each a measure of whiskey. “This’ll make you feel better.”

  She swallowed hers in one gulp. I followed suit, then held my cup out for seconds. She grinned and refilled for both of us. Nellie refused hers and Lydia sipped it in her usual hesitant way.

  “Now, tell us,” Daisy said.

  “Hold on,” I said. I drank my second whiskey. “Are Sheriff Dawson and the posse back in town?”

  Lydia cringed, but Daisy answered. “Oh, you bet they are. And hoo-ee were they fit to be tied. They all showed up here a couple of days ago, looking trail worn and angry as stick-poked badgers. They yelled up a storm and when they found out you weren’t here things only got worse. I thought Clay’d kill us all just for knowing you.”

  “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about everything. I never should have put you all at risk. I’ve really made a mess of things.”

  “You’ve got nothing to be sorry about. You can’t help falling in love…”

  I tried to protest, but Daisy held her hand up to stop me.

  “I know you went off to rescue him like you try to rescue everyone else, but we all knew how it would end up. The heart never gives us a choice in the matter.”

  “I’m so sorry,” was all I could manage.

  Daisy waved her hand again, dismissing me. “It sounds worse than it was. The posse threw their weight around, ranted and raged, pushed us around some, but eventually left.”

  “We didn’t tell them which direction you really went,” Lydia offered.

  “Thank you. But in the end it didn’t really matter much. The bounty hunter who was with them cut off from the posse and followed me. I managed to lose him for a while, but he caught up with us in Virginia City.”

  I sipped some more whiskey and blew my nose.

  “Is Isaac back here in Palmer, or did the bounty hunter…?” Daisy asked.

  “He’s still alive. And in jail. I’d convinced him to go north with me. To start a new life.” I tried to laugh, but it came out a strangled groan. “I fell in love with him. I’m such a fool.”

  “You stop talking like that,” Daisy said.

  “Why?”

  “He’s not dead yet, is he?” Nellie asked.

  “No.”

  “Then his fate is not settled.”

  “She’s right,” Daisy said. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

  “He’s in jail,” Lydia said. “Guarded and under lock and key. Clay and the Sheriff will watch him like a hawk. He’s their big prize. How can we change that?”

  “I had a plan. Isaac and I ended up holed up in a cabin overnight and nearby we discovered a gold mine. I actually fell into it, but there’s a nice little vein of gold in that cavern. I was thinking, given how greedy Clay is, that I’d try to trade the rights to the mine for Isaac’s life.”

  “You found what?” Daisy asked, her jaw dropping open in shock.

  I had to smile. I’d adjusted to the idea already, but watching the surprise on each of their faces gave me a moment of happiness in the midst of my anxiety.

  “That’s wonderful news,” Lydia said, taking my hand.

  Daisy grinned. “I can’t say that I’d be happy to see Clay get his hands on a gold mine, but he’s greedy enough that he might just be happy to let Isaac go in exchange for the mine.”

  “I exchanged a nugget in Virginia City for cash. I still have a lot of the cash left, and one more nugget. Between the two, it’s enough to pay off Silas. I planned for all of us to share the profits from the mine.”

  I pulled the deed for the mine from inside the bodice of my dress, where I’d been hiding it. I unfolded it and flattened it on the table to show the girls.

  “Kiss of Fate. That’s a perfect name,” Daisy said.

  “You put it in all of our names?” Lydia asked. “Why? You found it, it should be yours.”

  “We are family,” Nellie said. “Beth takes care of her family.”

  I dropped my head, ashamed that all I could think about now was using the mine to free Isaac. “But if I give it to Clay in exchange for Isaac’s life, I’d be betraying you. This belongs to all of us.”

  “If Isaac’s in your heart, he’s part of our family, and we take care of our family,” Nellie said.

  Fresh tears slipped down my cheeks. “He is so much a part of my heart.”

  “Then you have to save him,” Daisy said. “We’ve done just fine without a gold mine.”

  “Thank you. I’m so lucky to have you.”

  “Yes, you are,” Daisy said. “Besides, we all owe you our lives.”

  “No, you don’t. You’re just being dramatic.”

  “I know we’ve thought what our lives would be like if you hadn’t opened your home to us. I’m not being dramatic. You saved our lives. Now it’s our turn to save yours by helping you save Isaac.”

  …

  The next day I bathed, dressed in one of my best dresses, ate breakfast, and headed for town. The girls offered to go with me as a show of support, but seeing Silas, and especially talking to Clay, was something I needed to do myself. I’d be swallowing my pride—actually choking on it—and I didn’t want an audience for that. It would be humiliating enough as it was.

  At the Silver Terrace I tied Boreas to the hitching post. I took a deep breath and smoothed my skirt. This would be the easiest of my meetings today—and I didn’t anticipate it would be all that easy.

  I climbed the steps to the Inn and went inside. The lobby was decorated in beautiful mahogany floors and wall paneling. The front desk was intricately carved, with a marble counter.

  “Silas Devol’s room, please?” I asked the man behind the counter. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt with a black bow tie.

  He looked me up and down before answering. “It’s not proper to send a lady up to a gentleman’s room. I’ll send a note up to him to meet you in the parlor.”

  I didn’t really want to do this business in public, but we could at the very least begin our discussion there.

  “Certainly,” I said. “Thank you.”

  I found a settee upholstered in a gold-and-rose floral pattern and settled at the edge of it. There was no point in trying to get comfortable. Nothing about this exchange would be comfortable.

  A quarter hour later Silas made his way down the stairs, followed by Shaw and Dillon. My heart pounded the inside of my chest. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I needed to calm down. I could deal with Silas.

  I stood to greet him as he approached. Today he was dressed in a fancy suit of black trousers, white shirt with a dark green paisley vest, and a black jacket.

  “Beth. I’m so happy to see you again.”

  “Silas. So, how did you do in the tournament at the Placer?”

  “Quite well, actually. Thank you for asking. I’m glad to see you’re back in town. I was beg
inning to fret that I wouldn’t see you again, but the boys tell me you’re able to pay off your debt. I’m glad to hear it. You’ve always been one of my favorites. I’d hate to think what would have happened to our relationship if you’d welched on me.”

  Although a sharp retort came to mind, I pushed it aside and instead prepared myself to start my day of bootlicking.

  “Well, I’d hate to think it, too. Frank was lucky you were willing to help him out, so it’s the least I can do to pay back the debt.”

  He grinned and reached for my hand, patting it in an encouraging manner. “That’s the spirit.”

  “I have a sizable gold nugget I found while I was on my way to Virginia City. I didn’t have time to exchange it for cash before your boys caught up with us. The nugget is easily worth more than I owe you.”

  I wasn’t sure of the complete accuracy of my assessment of the nugget’s worth, but it didn’t matter much because Silas’s eyes lit up, as I’d expected they would. Most people are predictable when it comes to gold, and Silas was no different. He opened his hand and extended his palm, waiting for me to give it to him.

  “I didn’t bring it with me,” I said.

  “Why not? I thought you meant to pay me.”

  “I do mean to pay you. That gold nugget is all yours, but for now it’s in a safe location. Hidden.”

  “Why?”

  I looked away and in a subdued voice I said, “I find myself in a predicament.”

  His eyes clouded with suspicion and he pulled his hand back. “And what would that be?”

  I looked up, infusing my gaze with sincerity. “Isaac Collins is being held in the jail and will probably be hanged for a crime he didn’t commit. I’m in love with him, Silas. I can’t see him hang. I’ll do anything to ensure he doesn’t.”

  “How does that affect me, exactly?”

  “I won’t pay you until Isaac is freed.”

  I wasn’t sure if I’d expected him to laugh me off as ridiculous, but instead he glowered at me, the muscles of his jaw twitching. I would have preferred the laughter. But I maintained a straight face.

  “You’ve got nerves of steel, I’ll give you that. What, exactly, do you expect me to do about Collins?”

  “I don’t know. Bribery, threats, whatever it is you do to make people do what you want them to. I’ve seen you make more complicated things happen. I’m certain you have enough skill and charm to do this.”

  I tipped my head down and peered up at him from under my lashes, trying to be as earnest as possible. I’d done this kind of female-in-distress act before and it usually elicited at least a modicum of sympathy. But it was difficult to know if it would work on Silas. As a consummate con man and gambler, he may very well be immune to suggestion of any kind. I had no idea if he was even capable of sympathy, but even if he wasn’t I hoped I could count on his desire for that chunk of gold.

  “I could force you to pay me. Threaten your friends, burn you out, hurt you.”

  I gave him my best disappointed look. “If anything happens to me, my friends, my home, or Isaac, you’ll never see that gold.”

  “I could still plead my case to the court. Take your homestead.”

  I nodded in acknowledgement. “You could, but it would take time to go through the legal process, and in the end, what would you do with the land? You’d have to sell it to get any money out of it, and that would take more time. I’m betting you’d rather just have the gold.”

  “How do I know you even have it and you’re not making up the whole story?”

  I shrugged. “You don’t. But are you willing to take the chance?”

  He sat back on the settee and stared at me, rubbing his chin and contemplating his next move. I schooled my expression into the most neutral face I could manage.

  After a good long time he crossed his arms over his expensive suit and a smug smile spread over his face. It made my stomach drop.

  “I’m calling your bluff, Beth. I’m a businessman, not a humanitarian, and I don’t give a shit about you and your love affair with that criminal. I’m not willing to risk my business tangling with the law on his behalf.”

  He stood, pleased with himself. I swallowed down my disappointment, then lifted my chin and stood to face him.

  “Fine. I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to. But I offered to pay you and you refused, so as far as I’m concerned my debt with you is clear.”

  “I never said that. What you don’t understand is that your problems are your problems, not mine, but the debt still stands. I don’t dismiss debts. It sets a bad example. In fact, from now on, the debt doubles daily until it’s paid.”

  “And if I never pay it?”

  “Nobody welches on me. Ever. If you don’t pay me, I’ll take the necessary time to strip you of everything you own. When I’m done with you, you’ll wish you’d just paid me when you had the chance.”

  I knew it was probably futile to expect he’d have gone along with my plan, but at this point I was all in. I shrugged and looked him straight in the eye. “It’s been good seeing you again, Silas. Safe travels.”

  I left the parlor without looking back to observe his reaction. I’d played my hand with him and things would just have to fall where they may. I still had other options. Granted, they were significantly less pleasant to consider, but they were all I had left and needed to be done. I hoped if I succeeded with the rest of my day, Silas would be taken care of and I wouldn’t have to worry about losing the homestead.

  I headed for the jail. Leaving Boreas at the Silver Terrace, I crossed the street and took the boardwalk to the sheriff’s office. Outside the door I took a deep breath to prepare myself, but when I walked in, it was only Robert Summers sitting at the desk. Gil was nowhere in sight.

  “Mrs. Caldwell. Nice of you to drop by,” Summers said. “We all had bets on how long it would take for you to show up here. Guess I lost some money.”

  “How sweet of all of you to be concerned over me.” I struggled to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but failed. I didn’t really care what Summers thought of me.

  “Sorry, but you’re not allowed to see the prisoner.”

  Of their own volition, my eyes glanced to the door that led to the jail area. I returned my gaze to Summers and stood tall. “I’m not here to see him. I’m looking for Clay. Do you know where I might find him?”

  He scratched his head. “Out at the ranch, most likely. Or you could try the Placer. He was here earlier and left with Sheriff Dawson. Hard to say where they went from here.”

  “Thank you, Robert.”

  It took all of my self-control to leave the jail. It hurt to leave Isaac there, but even if they would let me see him, I didn’t think he’d want to see me, anyway, and I had other places to be—things to do that I hoped would lead to his release. He could complain to me all he wanted then, as long as he was out of jail and free. And alive.

  Down the street I walked into the Placer Saloon. Everybody in the place turned and watched me enter, and most lingered longer than the time necessary to identify a newcomer. I suppose I’d become the subject of some gossip. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  I scanned the room and found Clay and Gil at a table near the back. The two of them were smoking cigars and holding court. A good-sized audience of men sat around buying rounds and listening to the two of them boast. Bile rose in my throat at what I needed to do, but for Isaac I’d do anything.

  I approached the table.

  “Well, if it ain’t the lovesick Mrs. Caldwell,” Gil said.

  I gritted my teeth, but forced myself to ignore him, instead turning to Clay. “May I speak with you, Clay?”

  He made a sweeping gesture, meant to insinuate that I could speak in front of all his admirers. I don’t know what he expected me to say, but I wasn’t about to do it publicly.

  “Privately,” I said.

  He rose from his seat, and the whistles, cheers, and catcalls of the rest of the men in the bar followed us out the door.<
br />
  Back out on the boardwalk, he leaned a shoulder on a support post and puffed his cigar. “Well?”

  “I’m here to make a deal with you.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you are. I can’t wait to hear it.”

  “You and I both know Isaac Collins is an innocent man and that you and Gil have already decided his fate. The trial tomorrow is just a formality.”

  He shrugged, not admitting or denying anything. I tried not to seethe.

  “So if you have the power to frame him for murder and hang him, you have the power to free him.”

  “Why would I do that? Assuming I could.”

  “Because when I was on my way to Virginia City, I stumbled onto a gold mine and it’s a beauty. It’s a bona fide, registered claim.”

  Interest sparked in his eyes and he stood up a little straighter. “That’s mighty interesting.”

  “I’m willing to sign this gold mine over to you lock, stock, and barrel, if you agree to let Isaac go and clear his name.”

  “Someone needs to pay for the crime. The public demands it. If the jury frees Collins, who’s going to pay?”

  “Well, I’d suggest the actual culprit, but seeing as I’m looking at him, I doubt that’ll happen.”

  He pushed off the post and stood tall, looming over me. “You watch who you’re accusing of murder and robbery, Mrs. Caldwell. I won’t have you slandering my good name.”

  I couldn’t help myself; I snorted at his nerve. “You’re making an awfully big assumption that your name is all that good to start with.”

  He raised a hand as if he meant to slap me. When I stood my ground and didn’t cringe, he sneered and just wiped his hand on the front of his vest.

  “Your gold mine isn’t enough to buy his freedom. Isaac Collins will stand trial tomorrow and the jury will find him guilty in a unanimous verdict. Then he will be hanged in front of the entire town, as every criminal should be.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  ~Beth~

  I sat in the back of the courtroom, clinging to Daisy’s hand as the sham of a trial proceeded. Daisy kept me rooted in place. If she didn’t hold me back, I’d be inclined to march to the front of the room and strangle every lying weasel there.