by Carol Finch
“He’s more than tripled the interest on customers’ loans and I suspect he’s pocketing one-third for himself. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t claiming damaged merchandise as a loss to his investors, then reselling it for his own profits. All with the help of his cohort, Bowman, from the train depot. I’ve seen similar scams used several times before.”
Rachel gave him one last lingering kiss, then eased from his lap to take the other chair. “When his business falls to pieces and he has nowhere to turn for consolation, I’ll be satisfied to some extent, at least.”
Nate frowned warily as he watched her munch on the tender braised beef, green peas and sweet bread he’d purchased for their meal. “What does that mean?”
“I paid a visit to his new mistress this afternoon,” she said between bites. “I assured her that Adolph’s former mistress had been shoved out the window and that she should leave town before the same thing happened to her.”
“And she said?” he prompted.
“‘I’m gone’,” she reported. “I gave her money to buy a stagecoach ticket to Colorado. More accurately, I gave her some bank notes that had come from Adolph’s wallet, so he was the one who put her on the stagecoach. Also, I told her to drop my name to Hubert Solomon, owner of the Golden Goose Saloon in Leadville. She tossed her belongings in her satchels and hurried off.” Rachel grinned mischievously. “I passed Adolph on the street a few minutes ago while he was returning to his office so I know he knows his mistress skipped town.”
“What!” Nate hooted in outrage.
She crammed a piece of sweet bread in his mouth to make him pipe down. “Relax, he didn’t recognize me. He usually ignores everyone he thinks is beneath his elevated position in society.”
“But what if he had?” Nate growled around the mouthful of tasty bread.
She grinned and batted her big brown eyes at him. “Then I’d run straight to you for protection, of course.”
He scoffed. Rachel prided herself in resolving her own problems. And that worried the hell out of him, especially when it came to dealing with a treacherous bastard like Adolph Turner.
“You should let me retrieve Adolph’s financial ledger,” she suggested. “You don’t have a warrant, do you?”
“No, but—”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll fetch it while I’m still in disguise.”
“No.” His stern voice brooked no argument. He’d wasted his breath.
“Yes. I want to do what I can to help you bring a solid case against him.”
“Rachel—” he said warningly.
She leaned across the small round table to kiss him into silence. Somehow, he found the willpower to clutch her shoulders and hold her an arm’s length away. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
“You’re sweet to say so,” she murmured.
“I am not sweet.” He gnashed his teeth. “I’m cautious. I expect you to be alive to marry me when this case is closed.”
He noticed that she dodged his steady gaze. She was holding out on him. He could see it in her expression before she’d masked her emotions. She was going to refuse him and he wasn’t sure why that aggravated him so much. Maybe it was bruised male pride. Or so he’d like to think. But deep down, he suspected that while she was generally driving him crazy with her secrecy, her feisty spirit and her escape attempts, he had become so crazy about her that returning to the life he’d known before he met her had become unacceptable.
Hell, he had sidestepped entrapments for years. Now, when he’d decided he wanted a wife, because he didn’t want to live without this bewitching firebrand, she was all set to refuse him.
There was irony for you, he thought.
A light rap at the door prompted Nate to bolt to his feet and retrieve his pistol. “Who’s there?”
“Ludy.”
The banjo player entered, then halted to survey the twosome and the food on the table. Apparently satisfied that Nate hadn’t ravished Rachel in his spare time, Ludy plunked down on the edge of the bed.
“I just checked on Doc.”
“How is he?” Rachel asked anxiously.
“Awake.” He reached over to help himself to a slice of bread. “Living pretty high on the hog all of a sudden, aren’t you, Montgomery? Did you rob a bank without telling me?”
Nate inwardly grimaced when Rachel glanced from the expensive entrees to him, as if it just dawned on her that he suddenly had a lot of extra money to toss around.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “My brother sent me clothes, boots and extra money so I’m celebrating.”
The reply seemed to satisfy his companions.
“Doc is as cranky as an old grizzly,” Ludy went on to say. “Dr. Yeager came by to examine him a few minutes ago and insisted that he remain in bed for several days, just to be on the safe side.”
“That should give Doc time to break the habit of ingesting those fifty-proof tonics.” Rachel glanced at Ludy. “Is Doc still cursing me for ruining his stock of patented medicine?”
“Yep,” he said, and grinned widely.
“That’s not good,” Nate said thoughtfully. “I don’t want anyone, not even Doc in the infirmary, uttering Rachel’s name. It might get back to the wrong people.”
Ludy frowned, bemused. “Who are the wrong people?”
Nate waved him off. “Just warn Doc that mentioning Rachel could be bad for her health.”
Ludy nodded but he stared contemplatively at Rachel, who flashed him a wide-eyed innocent stare that prompted the banjo player to chuckle. “I wanted you to know that I’ve taken a job at one of the saloons since the medicine show has shut down temporarily. I’ll be at the Long Branch Saloon if you need to contact me.” He pulled the gold-plated timepiece from his pocket to check the time. “I’m due at the saloon in an hour to play the piano and sing. I’ll grab a bite before I go to work.”
When Ludy exited, Rachel gobbled the remainder of her meal. “I’m going to see Doc, then I’ll fetch the ledger after dark.”
Nate huffed out an exasperated breath. “Woman, did anyone teach you what no means?”
She flashed him a grin that played hell with his attempt to stay mad at her. “I forgot how to accept no when I started saying yes to you.” She sank onto his lap again to plant another kiss on his lips. “Let me compensate for the pain and trouble I’ve caused you. I’ll be careful. I promise.”
When she smiled hopefully at him, Nate gave in to her, against his better judgment. Damn but he was a fool for those dark, hypnotic eyes and that beguiling smile.
Of course, he planned to be on hand, in case anything went wrong, he reminded himself. She would only be out of his sight for a few minutes.
“All right,” he said, and was rewarded with another lip-blistering kiss.
“Thank you, Nate. It means a lot.” She dropped another kiss to his lips. “I almost forgot. When I checked on Doc earlier, I spoke to the other patient in the infirmary. The rancher was roughed up by Adolph’s goons because he didn’t pay his loan on time.”
“I’ll interview him after I make a few more inquiries at the saloon Turner owns. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”
Nodding agreeably, Rachel hopped off his lap and Nate strode toward the door.
Adolph backed into the covered portico outside his office when he saw Jennifer Grantham and her daughter returning from supper. He wondered if Rachel had contacted her by now. He was tempted to grab Mrs. Grantham when she passed by and use scare tactics to determine if she knew something she wasn’t telling.
Damn it, having his mistress skip town unexpectedly put him on edge. Plus, he was having a devil of a time locating that feisty firebrand who had knocked him unconscious and escaped the previous month.
Adolph shrank deeper into the shadows when Mrs. Grantham and her daughter passed by.
“Mama? Rachel never did tell me why she’s dressed like a boy,” Sophie commented.
“Sh-sh-sh!” Jennifer Grantham grabbed S
ophie’s hand and hurried down the street.
Adolph blinked in stunned amazement. Had Rachel been hiding in plain sight the entire time that he and his men had been searching all over creation for her?
“Damn it to hell!” he snarled when he remembered the sooty-faced brat he had pretended not to notice on the boardwalk when he was on his way back from the Four Queens Hotel. The kid reminded him of his former life as a penniless whelp, wandering the streets while his mother made her living as a second-rate prostitute.
Muttering several pithy curses to Rachel’s name, Adolph stalked down the street. Rachel was skulking around town, laughing at him behind his back because she’d cleverly eluded him. But he and his men would find her, he vowed vehemently.
He spat another curse when he remembered that he’d sent his hired thugs to search the small communities north of Dodge. He could have used the extra manpower to track down Rachel. But he’d find her eventually and he’d finish what he’d started the previous month. Knowing what a scrappy fighter she was, he would be ready and waiting when she fought back.
He smiled in fiendish glee as he scanned the darkening streets in search of the elusive waif. “As it happens, the position of mistress is open. Guess who’s going to fill it?”
He chuckled devilishly as he sauntered toward the boutique. He was determined to have persuasive bargaining power when he captured Rachel. Very soon, Rachel would submit to his lusty demands—and she would be wearing nothing but the choke necklace he had purchased specifically for her.
Rachel noticed that both cattle herds had arrived in town that afternoon. The pens beside the railroad depot were bulging at the seams. She predicted South Side would be jumping alive since the cowboys arrived to celebrate the end of the trail. No doubt, they would squander the ninety dollars in wages they earned for herding cattle from Texas to Kansas.
The extra noise and boisterous laughter would override any racket she might make while entering the back door of the freight office, she assured herself. Glancing every which way to make sure she wasn’t noticed, Rachel scurried off the boardwalk and trotted down the side alley by the barbershop. She zigzagged around the empty crates and garbage cans that littered the alley to reach the freight office. She grumbled when she twisted the knob and found the door locked.
Couldn’t anything in life be easy? she asked herself as she extracted a hairpin from beneath her cap.
“Falling in love with Nate was easy,” she reminded herself as she jimmied the pin in the keyhole. The lock clicked and the door opened with little effort. “At least one thing went right tonight.”
Quietly, she inched into the dark storeroom, then stood there a moment, lost to the upsetting memory of her knock-down-drag-out battle with Adolph. Composing herself, she crept along the wall, careful not to stumble over the boxes and crates that lined the storeroom.
When she reached Adolph’s office, she moved immediately to the desk. She tried to pull open the bottom drawer but it was locked. She assumed that’s where Adolph stashed incriminating evidence pertaining to his corrupt business practices. She retrieved the hairpin again. Within a few moments, she had the drawer open. She clutched the leather-bound ledger to her chest in triumph. Breaking and entering had been easier than expected, thank goodness.
Retracing her steps in silence, Rachel felt her way to the back door, then gasped when an unseen hand snaked from the darkness to clamp hold of her throat, cutting off her air supply. She jerked her elbow backward to level a blow but her attacker sidestepped and she connected with air.
“Imagine my pleasure at finding out you are in town, Rachel.”
She stiffened when Adolph’s snarling voice vibrated around her in the darkness.
“How did you know I was here?” she choked out.
“Your friends the Granthams told me.”
Rachel cringed at the insinuation. “What have you done to them?”
“They will survive, if you come along peaceably. After all, you know we have unfinished business, you sneaky hellion.”
Icy dread settled over Rachel. She knew she had only one chance to escape—a surprise launch from his choke hold to burst out the back door. If that failed, she would be at his mercy. And damn him to hell and back for terrorizing Jen and Sophie!
Hoping to distract Adolph, she pretended to choke, then slumped lifelessly against him. When she felt his grasp relax slightly she stamped on his foot, slammed the ledger upside his head, then bolted headlong toward the door…
Pain exploded against the back of her head and she staggered, determined to make it to the alley. The second blow from the butt of Adolph’s pistol sent her to her knees. She felt him yank the ledger from her grasp before he shoved her face-first to the floor.
“The last woman who tried to steal my ledger and blackmail me took a flying leap out the hotel window.” His voice rolled over her, as if drifting down a dark, winding tunnel. “You’ll join her in hell when I’m finished using you.”
Cursing Adolph up one side and down the other, Rachel collapsed on the floor…and blacked out…
Chapter Sixteen
Nate smiled politely at Dr. Yeager when he walked into the examination office, which fronted the infirmary. “I came to see my friend, Doc Grant. Is he still conscious?”
Yeager nodded his gray head, then gestured toward the closed door. “He was awake and lucid a few minutes ago when I examined him. He’s been fussing a lot about someone named Rachel and someone named Margie.”
“He must be feeling better.”
“I think he is going to be okay. Regaining consciousness was a step in the right direction because he could tell me where he hurts. Other than his obvious broken nose.” He gestured for Nate to continue on his way to the infirmary. “I’m going to fetch food for me and my patients.”
Nate stepped through the door and glanced down at the battered man Rachel had mentioned. He sympathized with the patient. There was nothing pleasant about taking a beating.
He extended his hand to the rancher. “I’ve been sent to investigate rumors of abuse to customers who are ordered to pay loans at the freight office with only a moment’s notice.”
The injured man glanced around, as if to ensure he wasn’t overheard. “Did that kid who stopped by this afternoon tell you about me?”
“The kid works for me,” Nate replied smoothly. Then he got down to the business of interviewing the victim who identified Rother, Lamont and Hanes as his attackers. According to the victim, they had taken all the money he had, plus several household items and a bottle of whiskey.
After the interview, Nate strode over to Doc, who was sporting a black eye and swollen nose and cheek. “Doc, are you awake?”
Doc’s lashes swept up. It took him a moment to recognize Nate. “Oh, it’s you. I want to get my hands on Rachel.”
“She hasn’t been by this evening?” Nate asked in concern.
Damn it, she told him she would stop here first, and then swing back to the hotel. Hell’s bells, if she had trotted off to swipe the ledger ahead of schedule he was going to strangle her. She was supposed to wait for him to come along as backup.
“Sorry I can’t stay longer,” Nate told Doc. “But I’ll be back to visit you later. In the meantime, don’t mention Rachel’s name to anyone.”
“That’s what Ludy said when he stopped in earlier. What’s going on?”
Nate doubled at the waist to pat Doc’s shoulder reassuringly. “I’ll be back to explain after I check on Rachel.”
He hurried out the back door, cursing himself up one side and down the other. He should have known Rachel intended to fetch the ledger without having him in the vicinity. Damn it, why hadn’t he said no to that woman to begin with?
The answer to that question disturbed him so he tried not to think about it. All that mattered now was making sure Rachel was unharmed.
Rachel’s head pounded like a bass drum when she regained consciousness. Her vision was blurred and her stomach pitched and rolled. Sh
e sympathized with Doc and Nate. If they felt as bad as she did, there wasn’t much use in getting up. Except that she had to, because the last thing she remembered was suffering a debilitating blow from the butt of Adolph’s pistol, and she knew he planned to torment her. Plus, she had to find Jennifer and Sophie and relocate the ledger for Nate.
Rachel tried to move her arms and legs and discovered she’d been staked out. There was a pallet beneath her and she was still in the storeroom.
“Good. You’re awake.”
Rachel swore under her breath when Adolph’s voice settled over her—all arrogance, supremacy and triumph. She had tried to be as quiet as possible, but he’d obviously been waiting for her to move so he’d know she’d come to.
“Have you been in Dodge all this time?” he demanded. “And don’t you dare scream for help. If you do, Mrs. Grantham and her daughter will never be seen or heard from again.”
“You’re bluffing.” She hoped. “It was one thing to murder your harlot for attempting to blackmail you, but people will wonder why a high-profile businesswoman like Jennifer would abandon her boutique without notice. You can’t explain that away and your hired thugs can’t back you up.”
“I can do anything I please,” he snapped cockily. His footsteps echoed on the stone floor as he came to loom over her. “I practically own this town. The part I don’t own, I control.”
“Ah, yes, controlled by strong-arm tactics and fear.” She smirked. “How could I have forgotten? Well, you might be able to hold on to the saloon and dance halls on South Side, but your investors object to your haughty claim that you own the freight office. You’re just the hired hand, Adolph.”
He puffed up like an offended toad. “What do you know about it?”
“I’ve been checking up on you while I’ve been out of your sight,” she taunted him by saying. “I even went so far as to contact one of your investors.”
“You’re lying!” He sneered as he gouged her hip with the toe of his polished boot.
