by C. A. Asbrey
“Or until the women. What would make these robbers suddenly kill?” She nodded, knowing he thought he was being far from helpful and confronting her with a show of dumb insolence. “I have a job for you. I want to know if Dora or Bessie sent telegrams to anyone. If so, to whom. I want details for everything they sent; details of the contents, the replies which came back, everything. There was a telegram in Dora’s room dated the week before she was killed saying someone with the initials R.D. would visit. Find out about that.”
“How the hell did you find that out?”
Abigail pulled a censorious face. She enjoyed playing a part, especially when she could wind up the feckless or judgmental. “Language, young man.”
His lips curled into a snarl. “I told you, old ladies have a way of getting people to help them. Please understand if you underestimate people it only ever makes it easier from them to get one over on you. I would prefer that we work together. If we don’t, I can make you look like an incompetent fool by pointing out to the governor you could have found all this out for yourself—but didn’t bother. ”
“I’ll get on it.” He grumbled, muttering through a grudging breath.
“One more thing. I need a description of anyone who made enquiries about adopting David Benson and anything else they have on them, all the supporting documents. Anything at all, no matter how small.” She stood and walked over to the door. “Shall we say, tomorrow? None of that should be hard to get for a man wearing a badge.”
Sheriff Thompson glowered at her receding back as she walked out. If they had sent a man, he could fight him, even provoke him into drawing—but what was he supposed to do with an old woman? Call her out in the street and beat her to a pulp? No, he needed to get her out of town as fast as possible.
♦◊♦
Nat and Jake sat in Pearl’s drawing room in a black mood. “Where the hell is she? She told us she was comin’ back to town. She said she’d meet us here an hour ago.”
“No one’s seen her since she left here,” Pearl relaxed into a cushion. “That suits me just fine. If I never see her again it’ll be too soon.”
“I don’t like this,” muttered Jake. “She’s vanished off the face of the earth. Do you think she’s headed out to the Schmidts on her own?”
“She’s ornery enough to do just that,” Nat muttered.
“She said she’d be talkin’ to townsfolk, women and people who knew Dora before she fell on hard times.”
Nat nodded. “Let’s get over to the Middletons and see what they know. That’s one of the places she said she was going. We’ll take another turn about town and see if we can see her. If not we’re heading out to the Schmidts. That damned woman is as stubborn as a hungry mule.”
“Good luck, boys,” Pearl watched them leave with a sigh. “Time to get back to work. Appetites never cease, and there’s money to be made in caterin’ to them. If you need any more back up from my boys, just ask.”
The two men strode out into the caustic sunlight and glanced around the streets of Bannen. Nat nodded over to an alley. “Middleton lives along here.”
♦◊♦
The ramshackle building testified to the poverty of the Middleton family. The blistered green paint on the clapboard finish was peeling and the front yard sprouted dominating weeds which arrogantly defied the pecking of the skinny chickens darting around. They flicked their scrawny necks back and forth as they scuttled away from the visitors to what was little more than a glorified hut. Jake paused as a stout woman in her sixties dressed in black passed them and carried on through the alley toward the main street.
“What?” Nat hissed. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head and glanced back seeing everything and nothing. “I dunno. There’s something wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
They both glanced around, searching for danger with a practiced eye, but everything remained resolutely normal. Children played, washing dried on the lines, an old woman walked on, and birds flew overhead. “I guess someone just walked over my grave,” said Jake.
Nat frowned and glanced around once again. He trusted Jake’s instincts, and he had regretted any occasion where he had dismissed his intuition as mere fancy. “Let’s get on in case someone’s following us. We’ll leave the back way.”
♦◊♦
“What do you want?” The blind man faced them, his head inclined at an unnatural angle to maximize his ability to hear. One eye was sealed behind a twisted crater, hidden behind the impenetrable scars ravaging his face. His nose was hideously twisted and the light-brown hair sat in tufts over the now healed, but contracted flesh of white and purple mottled scalp. The other eye had the appearance of an abominable, unseeing marble, rolling back in his skull.
“Sir? We are friends of Dora Benson. We’re trying to find out what happened to her. Can we talk to you?” Nat’s politeness echoed his cool smile. “You knew her from your work as the pianist at Pearl’s.”
Ben Middleton shook his unseeing head in frustration. “Talk to me? What the hell’s going on here? I just told those women where to go. Why’d you think I’d do any different for you?”
“Women?”
“Yeah. They’ve just gone. You must have seen them unless you’re blind, too. Two of them. One was Scottish.”
Nat darted a look at Jake. That had to be Abigail. They exchanged a smile knowing she was out there; somewhere. But why hadn’t they seen her?
“No, sir.” Jake cut in. “We know nothin’ about that. I’ve known Dora for about two years and I was shocked to find out she’d been killed. I was even more shocked to find out the law are doin’ nothin’ about it. I want to help, if I can.”
Nat looked into the man’s distorted face. The explosion which killed Dora’s husband was violent, and Ben Middleton had been lucky to survive. Middleton’s thin lips opened again.
“One of them said she was Phil’s mother, but I was having none of it. I knew she weren’t, and sent them off with a flea in their ears. Threatened them with the law if she didn’t clear off.”
“Phil Benson’s mother?” Nat processed this information as his stomach sank. “A fraud? How would you know she wasn’t who she said she was?”
“None o’ your business,” barked Ben Middleton.
“Sir, one of those ladies is a friend of ours, and she has now gone missing. If she’s goin’ around with someone who’s not who they say they are, I’m worried. How would you know the other woman was an imposter?”
“I just do. She’s dead. Phil told me so. Now, get the hell out of here.”
“Sir,” Jake interjected. “Can we speak to your wife?”
“She ain’t here. She works in the laundry.”
Nat frowned. “You have an Eastern accent. Where are you from?”
The man gave an urgent huff of irritation and tried to close the door but Jake wedged his foot through the gap.
“Mister. Everyone at Pearl’s says you and Dora were real close. Don’t you want to help her? Don’t you think you owe it to her son, at least?”
He hesitated. “David?”
“Yes. We’ve known Pearl since we were boys. Ask us anythin’ about her or Dora if you doubt who we are. Please?”
Ben’s shoulders sagged and his voice softened. “I can’t help you. I was real fond of Dora and I would take the boy if I could afford to, but we’re hand to mouth as it is. I don’t know who killed her. All I know is she was real excited about something and said it would change her life. I don’t know anything more than that. She said it would be a surprise. She deserved it. I got a pittance from the mine for being injured, but she got nothing ’cause Phil died; not a penny, because they blamed him for the explosion. The insurance wouldn’t pay her for him. That was a crock, too. I was there and it wasn’t his fault, but he wasn’t here to speak for himself.”
“Coming into money? When did she say that?” Nat and Jake exchanged a glance.
“A few days before she died,” Middleton shook his head. �
�If I knew who killed her, I’d be shouting it in the streets. I damn myself to hell that I couldn’t do more for her or her boy. She shouldn’t have had to do that. That place, those men. The very thought of it broke me. She had nobody. Dora’s folks were dead, she lost her husband, and Phil’s brother died years ago. She had nowhere to turn.”
They both heard the emotion catch in his voice. Jake reached out and touched his hand. “Thank you, sir,” his voice was soft, trying to reassure. “Can we let you know if we find anything? Will that help?”
The unseeing head twitched. “You’d do that?”
“Yes, sir. We will.” Middleton proffered a hand and Jake took it and shook it in agreement. “I can promise we’ll do our best for her and her boy. If you need us, tell Pearl. She can find us for you.”
“Thanks. I will,” Middleton replied. “What’s your names?”
“Pearl calls us her boys. Just tell her that. She gave us a roof when we were little.”
“Yeah, Pearl’s like that. She collects waifs and strays. That why I play there. Good ta meet ya, boys,” Middleton drew the door shut leaving them standing looking at the peeling paint. Nat strode out as soon as the door closed.
“Where are you goin’?” demanded Jake.
“I’m gonna find those women who were here. One of them’s Abi. The other’s a fraud, and I want to speak to her.”
“We only saw one woman. The old lady.”
Their eyes locked as they spoke in unison. “What has she done with Abi?”
♦◊♦
They saw her in the distance and she sure moved fast for an old lady.
“That’s her.” Nat gestured with his head. “She was the only one walking away. Abi’s got to be in one of the buildings in the lane.”
They quickened their pace, gaining ground on her, but they had to be careful. Two young men couldn’t be seen to be browbeating an elderly woman in the street. They timed their approach, splitting so Jake could approach her from the front after ducking down another alley and overtaking her as she reached the main street.
She saw Jake coming, wondering how he had got in front of her; time to cross the road, and fast. As she stood at the sidewalk ready to step into the busy road, a gloved hand curled around her left wrist.
“Ma’am. I’d like to talk to you, if you don’t mind. We just saw you leavin’ the Middletons’ place.” It was Nat. He had closed in from behind in a pincer movement.
She switched to her American accent as she glared through her veil at the hand holding her wrist. Abigail was determined not to let these criminals know how good she was with disguises. Every secret asset gave her the element of surprise. “I don’t have time young man.”
Nat hung on as he nodded to Jake they had the right woman. “Ma’am, we want to know where our friend is. You were with her at the Middleton place. Two women walked away from the house, but only one reached the main street.”
“I know nothing about your friend,” she pushed her way forward but Jake swung an arm around her waist and they deftly negotiated her back into the alley behind. She fought, but they held an arm each as they lifted her a few inches from the ground. Her only way out was to cry out for help, but she was in no position to raise her profile. She was pushed against the wall and Jake leaned with his hand over her head and lowered his face to hers with burning blue eyes.
“Ma’am? I want to know where our friend is please.”
Abigail swallowed a knot of irritation. They clearly didn’t recognize her, she needed to misdirect them. She didn’t want them to know how skilled she was with disguises. “She’s in the sheriff’s office.”
Nat wasn’t buying it. “That’s the other end of the main street. How’d she get there faster than you?”
Abigail shrugged. “She’s younger than me. She’s quicker.”
“You move pretty well for a woman your age.” Nat examined her, his scrutiny making her uncomfortable. At least the light in the alley was poor so any faults in her makeup were going unnoticed under her veil. “I’ve had enough of this. Let me go. Right now, or I’ll call for the sheriff.”
“Ma’am, what’s your name? Maybe we should call the sheriff… A woman is missin’ and you ain’t helpin’?” Jake’s demand was growing more instant. His eyes narrowed. “Calling the law is a better option than stayin’ down an alley with two angry men. You got a choice. Pick one.”
She nodded her head with genuine reluctance. The game was up. ”I’m flattered gentlemen; very flattered. You care.” She had switched to her own voice and watched as confusion crowded their faces. “Yes. It’s me.”
“Abi?”
She nodded. Her secret was out.
Nat sucked in a breath. “What the—”
“For heaven’s sake, Jake. Let me go. It’s me, Abigail.”
Her eyes darted from one to the other behind the pebble glasses. “I believe there’s a restaurant a few doors away. Let’s talk there.”
♦◊♦
They sat at the table as they gawked at her disguise. Neither of them had ever seen the like in their lives.
“Och, for heaven’s sake. Stop staring at me. Have you never seen an old lady before?”
“I ain’t never gonna look at them in the same way again, that’s for sure. How did you do that? He said there were two women,” Jake replied.
“He’s blind, Jake.” Nat grinned at him. “She used two different voices.”
“Ah.” Jake flushed in shame.
“You do one hell of a disguise Abi. You got any others?”
“No. Who’s got the time?”
His eyes danced with mischievous lights as he sat back and grinned pensively. “Yeah. Right.”
“Why were you pretendin’ to be Dora’s mother-in-law?” asked Jake.
She dropped her gaze as the pretty waitress came over to the table. Jake lit up like a Christmas tree as he beamed his most charming smile.
The receptive girl peered through her coy lashes. “What’ll it be?”
“Coffee please, and pie? You got any pie?”
“Sure. Apple or Cherry?”
“Apple.” Both men spoke together.
The waitress’s coquettish grin was still aimed at the males. “And your mother?”
Abigail lifted her head and smiled. “Ooh, cherry please, but they’re not my sons.”
“No?”
She leaned forward and grasped Jake’s hand. “He’s my husband.”
Jake spluttered and tried to pull his hand away but she held on tight.
“Don’t be embarrassed, darling,” she grinned before turning back to the waitress. “My father thought he married me for my money, but I know better. You don’t get passion like that between the balance sheets.”
The young woman gaped in amazement at the crone who seemed to satisfy the virile, handsome young man more than half her age. Jake colored from the neck up as Abigail pushed her glasses back up her nose with one finger and coughed into her handkerchief.
“Errr, yes.” The waitress murmured before she walked away as Jake hissed as Abigail.
“What did you do that for? She smiled at me. She liked me.” Abigail leaned forward as Nat chortled into his napkin.
“Because you were strong-arming me in the alley. Did you think I’d let you off scott-free?”
His eyes fixed on her. “I swear, Abi! She thinks I like little old ladies for their money. When this is all over—”
She finished his sentence for him. “You’ll laugh about this. Look, they’re all looking out from the kitchen. They’re laughing. Everyone else thinks it’s funny.”
“Back to business,” muttered Nat as he swallowed his mirth. “Why did you pretend to be Mrs. Benson?”
“Because it was the best way to get people to open up to me. I’ve learned nothing new except Ben Middleton seems to know the real Mrs. Benson. That raises another question. How does he know her?”
“He told us she was dead.”
“Hmmm, still. He seemed really certa
in, and people estranged from their family often just claim they’re dead to avoid questions. Phil Benson fits the bill, but Ben Middleton had the air of someone who knew firsthand, and not just anecdotally. I’m going to look into his past, too. It’s better to get facts than run on assumptions.”
The waitress arrived with their order.
“Thank you, dear,” Abigail smiled and watched the girl beat a hasty retreat from their table. “Old man Schmidt has been murdered, in another violent bushwhacking.” Abigail glanced from one man to the other. “I went to see the body. He was shot in the forehead without putting up any fight that I could see. Because of the powder burns, it had to be point blank range.”
“Shot?” Jake’s brow creased. “Well, I guess that kills my theory. I thought it was the Schmidts. I spoke to the stableman today and he reckons the robberies come from Paris. He gave me a lead on someone who might know who buys and sells stolen property there.”
“So we go to Paris?” Abigail suggested.
The men shared an incredulous look.
“We ain’t takin’ a respectable woman to Paris, Abi. We’ll go alone,” Jake snorted.
“You’ll just cramp our style,” Nat agreed. “We need to go there alone.”
She pursed her lips and spoke after a considered pause. “Fair enough. I’m sure I can find something useful to do here. I’ll look into the prospective adopters.”
“I hope you mean that.” Nat narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I guess we’ve done all we can in Bannen except to get the psychic reading.”
“We’re closing in. We need to look at the page from the ledger and see what we can decipher from it. I’m going to check into the hotel tonight as the old lady. I can’t go without this heavy disguise just yet.” She paused and stroked Jake’s hand. “Darling, do you prefer me like this? I could hold onto it?”
His hard fist gripped her hand. “Do that again and I’ll crush your fingers,” he hissed.
The waitress passed by and her eyes fixed on the man’s long fingers wrapped around the old woman’s hand before she stared straight into his eyes with a look of total disdain. His heart sank as she walked away, shaking her head while Nat and Abigail choked with laughter.
