“I’m so sorry, honey.”
“I know. Me too.”
“Roy sure made a mess of everything. The things I heard he did, why, my son would be turning over in his grave. Growing up, Roy wasn’t a bad kid, just spoiled rotten. No one ever told him no, me included.” She stood up and clapped her hand. “No more sad talk. We’ve got something for you. Matildy, where is that bag?”
“I’ll git it, Miz Ginny.” Matilda disappeared out a side door. In a few moments, she returned, carrying a canvas bag. She lifted the bag onto the table and dumped the contents.
Money, lots of money, spilled everywhere.
***
Bright rays of sunshine woke Wes. He stretched and rolled out of bed, amazed that he’d slept so long and so hard. He walked to the door and looked into the hallway. All quiet. Evidently, last night’s intruder had not returned. But they’d try again—of that he was certain. Naomi’s presence had someone really spooked. Somehow, he had to convince her to leave this damned town.
A noise outside his window jerked him from his reverie. Two long strides took him to it. Since they were on the back side of the hotel, his view consisted of the alley. He glimpsed a slim figure darting furtively down the trash-filled alleyway. With a cover on her head, he couldn’t see her face, but the woman had Naomi’s slim build. Just then, she glanced over her shoulder.
Naomi!
What was she up to? Where was she slipping off to? To meet someone?
Wes cursed loudly. The damn woman was likely to get herself killed. He donned his clothes, grabbed his gun belt, and dashed into the hallway. As he passed Naomi’s door, he tried the knob. It opened. He cursed again. He took the back stairs two at a time. He got to the alley just in time to see her round the corner.
He hurried to catch her. As he reached the corner, he stopped abruptly. Naomi stood at the street, looking left and right. Suspicions crowded into his mind. She had professed her innocence. So now why was she secretly meeting someone?
As she hurried down the street, Wes followed. Once she glanced over her shoulder, and he ducked into a doorway. She spoke to a boy shooting marbles in the street and then walked to a large yellow house with a white picket fence and flowers along the walk. He crept closer, anxious to know who’d answer that door.
To his surprise, an old woman answered it and ushered Naomi inside. He had to get closer. But if he crossed the open street, he might be seen. He worked his way down a side street to the back of the house.
For a moment, guilt assailed him. The woman could be an old friend of Naomi’s. But if so, why the secrecy?
He climbed over the fence, made his way to the front, and crept up to the window. The parlor was empty. With a muttered curse, he retraced his steps to the back. A furtive glance showed Naomi at the kitchen table. An old black woman appeared, carrying a large bag. With a great deal of effort, she emptied it on the table.
Money spilled everywhere. Large stacks of bills and a multitude of coins. A ton of money.
Wes stifled a curse. So Naomi had known about the money all along. This whole time, she’d lied to him. What else had she lied about? His gut tightened at the betrayal. The fact that she’d lied to him ate at his craw on a professional level and a personal level. Oh, it’d happened before, but the knife had never cut this deep.
So what did he do now? Go in and arrest her? Could he prove the money was stolen by Roy Brecker? And how did the old woman fit into the picture? Should he wait for Naomi to come to him? Or would she? Would she confess to knowing about Roy’s crimes?
A knot formed in his belly, creating a bad taste in his mouth. With his mouth set in a grim line, he headed back to the hotel. It was time to reassess the situation and write his report.
Chapter Ten
“This is for me?” Naomi picked up a wad of bills, then let them spill through her hands. “But I don’t understand. Where did all this money come from? If it’s from Roy’s…crimes, I can’t accept it. I don’t want it. It wouldn’t be right.”
Virginia patted Naomi’s hand. “Oh, my dear, it’s okay. It was to be Roy’s money. When my son died, he left his considerable estate to Roy. Roy’s mother had already passed on. So I sold everything and brought the money out here—for him.”
Naomi’s mouth gaped open. “You mean, you two brought this big bag of money all the way from Atlanta?”
“Oh, yes,” Virginia answered. “Matildy, me and her grandson. We figured no one would bother two old ladies and a boy.”
“I can’t believe it. If someone had found out…you could have been killed. You were very lucky,” Naomi said softly. “Very lucky.”
“I’m sure we were.”
“But when you got here, why didn’t you put it in the bank?”
“We didn’t trust anyone, not even the bank, especially with all the trouble going on. The Colonel, my late husband, he didn’t trust banks either. No sirree!” Virginia shook her head. “We prayed you’d get out of prison, and we could give it to you. Thank God, they finally let you out.”
“Oh, Virginia, I really appreciate your thinking of me, but it’s your money. I couldn’t take it.” Naomi grabbed a handful of money and threw it in the bag.
“But, but, you have to—”
At the look on Virginia’s face, Naomi stifled a laugh. “Why do I have to?”
“Because it’s Roy’s money, legally, and you’re Roy’s widow, that’s why.” Virginia looked at her, then at Matildy and back at her.
“But I wouldn’t feel right. Roy ruined so many lives, stole so much money. I just couldn’t take it. You and Matildy keep it.”
“But, but, but what will we do with it?”
Naomi laughed. “Why, spend it of course.”
“No, no. We don’t need it. Why, I know, we’ll give it to those people he hurt.”
“That would be wonderful, but please hold on to it for a while—until we know we’re safe.”
“That’s a good idea. But what about you?”
“Miz Ginny.” Matildy waved at the older woman, motioned her over and then whispered.
Virginia clapped her hands. “Splendid, just splendid. Matildy had a great idea. I’ll give you some of my money. I have more than I need, more than I can ever spend.”
Another laugh escaped Naomi. “Virginia, that’s so sweet of you. I’ll tell you what—if I need money, I’ll ask you for some of yours. How’s that?”
“Well, all right, my dear, if that’s the way you want it.”
Naomi leaned over and kissed the frail cheek. “You’re very sweet, Virginia. Both of you. But, right now, you need to hide this money. We were followed all the way from the prison. Some men tried to kill us.”
“Us?”
“Yeah, I rode out here with a U.S. Marshal, Wes Cooper is his name. He said he just wanted to help me, but I think he was sent to investigate me.”
“You like this here Wes Cooper?” Virginia asked.
“Why, why, I appreciated his help.”
“Hmmmm. Just the way you said his name.”
“No, no, no, nothing like that. I think those men who followed us thought I had the money or knew where it was. If anyone sees this money, they’ll think it’s the stolen money. So hide it and don’t tell a soul about it, okay?”
“All right, my dear. We’ll do as you say.”
“Good. Now, I need to get back to the hotel before I’m missed.” She stood and draped the shawl over her head. “And—” she pointed at the two women “—be very careful. If you see me on the street, pretend you don’t know me. I don’t want to put you in danger. Promise me? Both of you?”
The two women nodded.
“What are you going to do, my dear?” Virginia asked.
“Find out who killed Roy and that woman and who framed me.”
“That sounds very dangerous, my dear.”
“But I have to do it.” Naomi walked to the back door. “I don’t want anyone to see me leaving.”
“Will you come back and see u
s? We get very lonely, just the two of us.”
“Of course I will. Maybe not any time soon I’m afraid, but I promise I will.” On impulse, she ran back and kissed both women on the cheek, then bolted out the back door. She must not endanger those two old, sweet women.
As she neared the hotel, two men entered the alley, blocking her return to her room via the back stairs. She hesitated, then marched to the front door of the hotel. As she passed the dining room, someone called her name. A familiar voice.
Wes.
Her heart rose in her throat. Had he seen her leave? Or just having an early breakfast? No one could find out about Virginia and Matildy. Absolutely no one. Not even Wes.
She pasted a smile on her face and went to see him. “Good morning, Wes. I see you’re up early.”
He stood and pulled the chair out for her. “So are you.”
“Went for a walk. I couldn’t sleep,” she lied as she slid into the chair.
“You shouldn’t go out alone, Naomi. You know it’s too dangerous. Haven’t you learned that by now?”
His censure brought a frown to her lips. “I figured those cowards wouldn’t try anything in broad daylight.”
“I wouldn’t count on that.”
Something in his voice had her locking gazes with him. Had something else happened? “What do you mean?”
“You think you’ve got something all figured out, then you get knocked off your horse.” He picked up his coffee cup and glared at her over the rim.
He knew something. But what? His stare seemed to bore into her very soul. She tapped her fingers on the table. “And what do you have all figured out, Marshal Cooper?”
“You, or so I thought.”
“Me? But you’ve only known me about a week or so.”
He didn’t answer.
“Wes…”
“What?”
“I want to ask you a favor. Another one.”
His gaze narrowed. “What?”
“I want to go to the house…where it happened. The Wainwright House. But I don’t want to go alone.” She clenched her hands into fists, expecting him to refuse.
“Why? Why put yourself through that?”
“Because the events of that night are fuzzy, and well, I thought maybe I’d remember something. Something…maybe a clue as to who did…you know.” At the thought of seeing the scene, a lump rose in her throat.
He nodded. “Since you put it that way, it sounds reasonable. I guess we can go over there now, if you like.”
“All right.”
He shoved his plate back, pulled a few coins from his pocket, and tossed them on the table. “The house is toward the east end of town, right?”
Naomi nodded and rose to her feet. “Yeah. I think I remember someone telling me it had been closed. I hope we can get inside.”
“We’ll get in, all right.”
He put his hand to the small of her back and ushered her out the door. Silence hung heavy between them as they walked the few blocks. She wanted to open up to him, but the stern set of his lips kept her silent.
Fifteen minutes later, she stood in front of the Wainwright house. The doors and windows were boarded up. Gray, tattered curtains hung from gaping holes where windows used to be. Weeds had overgrown the once manicured lawn. As nervous as she thought she’d be, Naomi found herself calm, going back to that fateful night three years ago.
Wes stepped onto the porch, turned to her, and held out his hand. “Be careful. A lot of these boards are loose.”
She nodded as she climbed the steps. For a moment she fancied she could hear the music and laughter like she had that fateful night three years ago. Her knees threatened to buckle under her.
Wes tried the door knob. “Locked. You stay here. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared around the side of the house.
As she waited, an eerie feeling settled over her—a feeling she was being watched. But a quick glance over her shoulder showed the street was empty. The front door screeched as Wes pushed it open, motioned her inside, then scanned the street.
“You feel it too, don’t you? Someone’s watching us.”
His mouth set in a grim line. “Yeah.”
As they entered the front room, Naomi found it hard to breathe. She stopped in the center of the huge lobby, remembering the luxury that used to be. It looked nothing like she remembered. Its elegance was gone, replaced by dust and cobwebs. What furniture remained lay like broken toys on the dirty floor. The expensive carpet had also vanished—and in the middle of the room a large dark stain.
She gasped and staggered backward until her back was against the wall. Stars swirled before her eyes, nausea rising in her throat. She pressed her hand against her mouth.
“Take a deep breath.” Wes put his arm around her waist. “Steady now.”
She did as he said and sucked in a long breath. “I’m okay.” She nodded her head at the stain. “That’s where I found them.”
“Figured as much. Tell me why were you and Roy in town that evening.”
“It was Roy’s idea. He was home from one of his trips. He said it’d been a good trip. A lucrative trip.” She huffed out a breath. “If I’d only known. He said we should celebrate, and that he’d reserved a suite at the Wainwright House.”
“Tell me what happened from the time you checked in until…it happened.”
A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she ran her hand across it. You can do this, she told herself. This is what you’ve waited for the last three years. “Well, we went down to dinner. I remember the dining room being full. There was music, and I wanted to dance. But we never did. We had a couple of glasses of wine, and Roy ordered our food.” She paused, remembering that night like it was yesterday.
“Good. You’re doing great. Then what happened? Did Roy talk to anyone?”
She nodded. “Yes. We were about ready to leave when two men stopped by our table. I didn’t know them. They were all duded up. Later, when I asked him about them, he brushed it aside.”
“What did they talk about?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t pay much attention. An up-coming business trip they said, and some goods they were going to get.”
“Did you see these men again?”
“No.”
“Would you recognize them?”
“I think so.”
“All right. Go on.”
“Oh, yeah, Sheriff Russell came by. I remember him telling me how beautiful I looked. Made me very uneasy, but Roy just laughed.” Goosebumps rose on her arms, and she rubbed her skin. “After dinner, I went up to bed. Roy said he was going to have a drink—”
“Where?”
She shrugged again. “I assumed at the saloon.”
“The saloon where Rose Morales and Rita Jones worked?”
“I don’t know. I guess so.” When Wes nodded, she continued. “I fell asleep. Later, loud voices woke me. It was Roy and someone else—arguing. I didn’t recognize the voice. So I got up and headed downstairs. I saw…them.”
“Was there anyone else in the room?”
“Yes.” Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t see him right away, but there was a man on the stairs. I swear it. No one believes me, but I think he hit me over the head, and I fell…on top of Roy. I’ll always remember Roy’s glazed eyes and the shocked look on his face. And her face too. There was so much blood. And then the sheriff was there.”
“The man on the stairs? Can you describe him?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I see him in my nightmares, but he’s always in shadow. And just when I think I can see him clearly, he laughs, like he’s mocking me. Then he disappears back into the shadows. I feel…such evil…it frightens me.”
“How did the sheriff get into the room? You said he was there when you came to. So he must have been close by. How did he get into the room? Was it locked?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I locked it when I went to bed. I don’t know when Roy came back. I never heard him come in. He ne
ver came to bed.”
“Sounds like someone was waiting for him when he came from the saloon. Did you hear a shot? One shot? Or more than one?”
“One shot. First, I heard loud voices. Roy was arguing with someone. Oh, Wes, I didn’t kill Roy—I loved him. He was my husband.”
“Naomi, honey, I believe you. You know I do.”
He opened his arms to her, and she wrapped herself in his embrace, reveling in the fact that he believed her.
“If there was only one shot,” he said, “then the woman was killed somewhere else and brought there. If that’s the way it happened, someone had it all planned out. That’s for sure. But who? Who would benefit the most from Roy’s death—and framing you?”
“I’ve thought and thought on that over the last three years. Maybe Roy wasn’t the boss of the gang after all. Maybe Roy told the man in the shadows that he wanted out, and maybe that man killed him, afraid Roy would reveal his identity.”
Wes nodded. “Sounds logical to me. Maybe the man on the stairs thought you could identify him, so he killed two birds with one stone.” He locked gazes with her. “You said Roy might want out. Why?”
Naomi hesitated. The loss of her baby still cut deep into her soul. But it wasn’t fair to ask so much of Wes and not level with him. She took a deep breath. “He found out he was going to be a father.”
Wes’s mouth gaped open. “Oh.”
“I lost the baby in prison.”
A curse escaped his lips. “Ohmigod, Naomi. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No one knew. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Dammit! Did you tell your attorney? Maybe he could’ve—”
“He didn’t think it would help. He said it would help to prove I was jealous and didn’t want to lose Roy.”
“But it might have swayed—I guess it’s too late to second guess his decision.”
“Yeah. Wes, I’d like to ask you one more favor. And this will be the last one. I promise you.”
He threw up his hands. “Why not? What?’
Despite her apprehension, she laughed. “I want to go out to the ranch.”
“Why? It’s not your ranch any more. Why do you keep torturing yourself?
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