Frank narrowed his eyes and looked closer. “Land’s sakes, she’s got her face on a wanted poster I delivered just a couple of weeks back.”
Sarah froze and tried to take a step back, coming up solid against Abe’s hard chest. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
“We’re aware of that.” Abe’s voice was stern. “We’re on our way to St. Louis to straighten it out.”
Frank looked at Sarah and then back at Abe. “You mean it’s not true?”
“Of course it’s not true. We aim to prove it and bring her back here where she belongs.”
“I knew it.” Frank gave them a wide smile. “I knew somebody with a face that pretty couldn’t do anything bad.” He put his hat back on his head. “Get on aboard, Miss Keevers. I’ll get you safely to Jefferson City where you can catch that train. You’re welcome on my stagecoach.”
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. She allowed Abe to help her into the small coach. She wrinkled her nose at the dusty interior. The inside reeked of the smell of unwashed bodies. It would be a long ride in the small confines of the dusty stagecoach. Luckily, they were the only passengers going to Jefferson City.
Several hours later the stagecoach hit a rut, yanking her body sideways and slamming her shoulder into the door. She grabbed for Abe’s arm for fear the door would swing open and toss her into the road.
He smiled and pulled her closer to his body. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”
She looked over at Ike, sprawled across the other seat. His sleep-filled eyes glanced at Sarah before sliding shut. How can he sleep through so much jostling? She turned to Abe. “What are we gonna do about getting in touch with my grandfather’s attorney?”
“I plan on sending a wire once we reach Jefferson City. I’m going to contact a man Ike’s done business with.”
“You mean when he was a bounty hunter?”
“Yes, I’m going to ask him to check around with the various law firms in New York and find out which one handled the transaction with your Miss Rivers.”
“How will he get in touch with us?”
Abe shrugged. “I’ll let him know we’ll be at the St. Louis Arms Hotel.”
Sarah blinked twice. “Do you realize what a fancy place that is? They’re not going to let somebody like me stay there.”
Abe pulled her into side, his arm draped protectively around her body. “You hush now. You can stay anywhere I say you can, Sarah. Why do you put yourself down so? You’re a fine woman and don’t let me hear you say any different.”
She sighed. “You know who my father was, Abe. Nobody is going to let me forget that.”
He harrumphed. “They may not forget it, but if they know what’s good for them, they better not be saying anything about it. Sarah, your Pa was a troubled man, and not a very good man, but that doesn’t mean that you’re anything like him. You’re a good, decent woman. Hell, the way you took care of them kids tells me everything I need to know about your character.” He pressed his lips against her temple. “Now, you lay your head down on my shoulder and see if you can get some sleep. It’s gonna be a good two days of travel to get where we’re going and I want you to be well rested.”
Sarah looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “Do you think they’re going to put me in jail?”
Abe tightened his arm. “Not if I can help it.”
She leaned her head against his chest, feeling his arm coming further around to hold her steady so she couldn’t fall. She closed her eyes and let the steady beat of his heart lull her to sleep.
* * * *
Sarah looked around in wonder at the fancy interior of the St. Louis Arms Hotel. She was exhausted, and felt dirty and thoroughly tired of being bounced around, first by the stagecoach and then on the train. It seemed like only yesterday she’d made her escape from this city, instead of months ago. She let Ike take her arm to lead her toward the front desk where Abe was talking to a man behind the desk.
“We’ll need one room, please, preferably at the end of a hall.” He glanced back at Sarah, and then turned back to the bored-looking young man behind the desk. “And please have a hot bath sent up right away.”
The man looked at Sarah. “Yes, sir.” He pushed a book forward, dipped a quill pen in a bottle of ink, and handed it to Abe. “If you’d just sign your party in, sir. It will be twelve dollars per day and that includes meals. Would you prefer to dine in your room or in the hotel restaurant?”
Sarah touched Abe’s arm. She waited until he turned around. “Room,” she whispered.
He turned back and signed the book. “Give us a couple of hours for baths and then serve supper for three in our room. We’ll be down for breakfast.” He looked up. “Have you received any messages or wires for Sheriff Abe West?”
The young man turned around and checked a shelf behind him. He picked up a stack of papers and quickly leafed through them. “Nothing for that name, sir.”
“I’m expecting an important wire. You make sure to bring it to me as soon as it arrives.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked around for a moment. “Boy,” he called out. A young boy not any older than Daniel came running up. “Take them to room 214.” He handed him a key. “I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”
Sarah followed the young boy up the winding staircase, enjoying the opulent furnishings of the hotel. If she was going to jail, she was certainly getting a grand send-off. A few minutes later she watched Abe press something in the boy’s hand and push him out the door of the room. She looked around in amazement. A huge bed covered in a silk coverlet dominated the room. A fireplace with a marble mantel had a crackling fire burning across the room. Two plush armchairs sat in front of the fire, while a huge armoire stood off to the side. A small table, polished to a rich shine, stood between the chairs.
Abe walked over and took Sarah’s arm. “Do you like the room?”
“I’ve never seen anything as nice as this.”
A knock sounded against the door, and Abe walked over to pull it open.
“We’ve got your bathtub, sir.” Abe stood back while two boys carried in a large, metal tub. They set it up behind a privacy screen in the corner beside the bed. “We’ll be back with some hot water right away.”
“That’s fine.” Abe turned to Ike. “Watch over Sarah. I’m going over to the sheriff’s office and let them know we’re here and that we want a hearing in front of a judge.”
Sarah cringed. “Do you think he’ll want to put me in jail until he can get a judge to listen to us?”
“I’m gonna try and convince him that you’re safe in our custody until the trial.” He walked over and took her in his arms. “Don’t worry, everything is gonna be all right.” He nodded at Ike, and then walked out the door.
Ike pulled her into his arms. “You heard the man, you’re not to worry.”
“We have your water.” Ike motioned for the boys to come in. They hurried over and poured buckets of steaming water into the metal tub. “I’ll take two more trips and the tub will be full.”
“That’s fine, just don’t dally. We don’t want it cooling off too fast.” Ike turned to Sarah as the boys hurried off. “You looking forward to soaking in some hot water after that long ride?”
“Absolutely.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s gonna feel like heaven.”
“It’s a mighty big tub. How do you feel about sharing?”
Sarah’s eyes flew open in time to see Ike wink. “You mean at the same time?”
He laughed and hugged her close. “You are delightfully innocent.” He placed a quick kiss on her nose. “Yes, at the same time. “He gave her a wicked leer. “I’ll wash your back if you’ll wash mine.”
She shook her head, biting back a smile. “I doubt it’s my back you’re interested in washing.”
Ike’s mouth opened, and the boys walked in carrying more buckets of water. He moved close and leaned down to put his mouth over her ear. “Just you wait, you’re gonna love sharing your bath with me.”
* * * *
/> Abe jumped from the lift and tossed the driver a coin. He looked up at the sheriff’s office and swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath, he walked inside and spotted a young woman sitting at the desk just inside the door. There were a couple of closed doors on the wall behind her. He walked forward, making sure his badge was clearly visible on the shirt under his vest. “Good afternoon. I’m Sheriff Abraham West from Big Springs, Kansas, and I’d like to talk to your sheriff.”
“Sheriff Watson has already gone home, but Deputy Ellis is here. Would you like to speak to him?”
“That’ll be fine.”
She walked to the door on the left and knocked.
A muffled voice came from behind the closed door. “What is it, Caroline?”
She opened the door and stuck her head inside. “There’s a gentleman here to see you, Deputy Ellis.”
The deputy walked to the door and looked out. He was short, a good five inches shorter than Abe, and kind of wily looking. His dark, black hair gave him an almost sinister look. He glanced at Abe and sniffed. “What can I do for you?”
Abe introduced himself again. “Can you spare me a few minutes.”
The deputy sighed and stood back, motioning for Abe to come in to his office. He took a seat behind his desk, leaving his office door open.
Abe sat down and pulled out the poster with Sarah’s picture and handed it to the deputy. “I’m here to discuss Miss Keevers.”
He took the poster and glanced at the picture, then raised his gaze to Abe. “Do you have information regarding this woman’s whereabouts?”
“Yes, she’s presently in my custody.”
Deputy Ellis got an excited gleam in his eyes. “You mean she’s here?”
“She’s over at the St. Louis Arms.”
His eyes widened. “You’ve got her in custody in a luxury hotel?”
Abe chuckled, and then realized it might not be a good idea to make light of the situation. “She’s presently in the custody of Isaac West, a registered bounty hunter. She isn’t going anywhere.”
The deputy frowned. “You should have brought her with you, Sheriff. You know the procedure. She has to be processed and incarcerated until there’s a trial. She won’t be allowed bail because she’s already run once.”
Abe gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “That’s just it, son, we have proof that Miss Keevers did not do the things on that poster. We want to schedule a hearing in front of a judge as soon as possible so we can clear her name.” He leaned closer to the agitated man. “You wouldn’t want to lock up an innocent woman if you didn’t have to, would you?”
Deputy Ellis sniffed again. “It doesn’t matter what I want or don’t want. There are proper procedures to follow. If she’s at the hotel, then I have no choice but to go there and take her into custody.”
Abe decided he’d had enough of the little upstart. He got to his feet, put on his most menacing look, and pushed back his coat, allowing his guns to show. “You need to send for your sheriff right now, young man. I want to state my business to someone in authority.”
“There won’t be any need of that, Sheriff West. I’m right here.” There was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a bright, shiny star pinned to his shirt standing in the doorway. “I’m Sheriff Robert Watson.” He held out his hand for Abe to shake.
“I was just telling your deputy….”
“Yes, I heard. Would your brother happen to be Ike West?”
Abe studied the man closer. “Yes, sure is. Why, do you know him?”
The sheriff smiled and moved to perch on the edge of the deputy’s desk. “Yeah, met him about two years ago. He did a couple of jobs for me. He’s a fine man. You say he’s watching over the subject for you at the hotel?”
Abe cleared his throat. “Yeah, he’s watching her real close.”
Sheriff Watson eyed him for a moment and then chuckled. “I’m sure he is. He always seemed to be a ladies’ man.” He turned to the deputy. “You can go on home, Victor. I’ll take care of Sheriff West, here.”
Deputy Ellis glanced at Abe and then back at the sheriff. “You want me to go over to the hotel and pick up Miss Keevers and bring her back here?”
Abe tensed for a moment.
“No, that won’t be necessary. If Sheriff West says she’s not going anywhere, then we can trust that she won’t.”
“But, Sheriff…”
“You heard me, Deputy. You have a problem with my orders?”
The man flushed and grabbed his hat. “No, sir.” He turned and stomped out the door.
Sheriff Watson took the seat behind the desk and motioned for Abe to sit back down. “Okay, now tell me what’s going on.”
Abe spent several minutes telling him everything he knew. “Now, we’re waiting for a wire to come in from New York.”
“And you’re sure it’s going to prove that the missing money actually belonged to your girl?”
Abe’s eyes widened. “My girl?”
The sheriff laughed. “Please, you wouldn’t go to this much trouble if you didn’t have a personal stake.” He narrowed his eyes. “What about the missing orphans? Do you know what she did with them?
Abe looked him right in the eye. “They’re somewhere safe and that’s all I’m gonna say.”
Sheriff Watson nodded. “Good enough.” He got up and walked over and shut the door. He looked back at Abe. “Sometimes the walls around here have big ears. That’s how I knew to come back. Caroline heard your conversation with my deputy and thought it prudent to send a boy to fetch me.” He sat down and leaned back in his chair. “I’ve always had suspicions about the way the Grover Street Orphan Asylum is run. Well, I’ve actually had my doubts about several of the orphan homes, but Miss Rivers’s home came to the forefront when she reported the so-called theft of her money and the orphans. It just didn’t add up. What can you tell me about the orphans?”
Abe explained about Sarah finding a journal that proved the woman was selling off the children as slave labor, and in some instances, girls to brothels out west. “Trouble is, she can’t prove it. She was afraid to take the journal because she thought they’d be more likely to come after her for that, than for just taking the kids.”
“Well, she was wrong because they’ve sure been doing their best to track her down. They put up that reward themselves for her return.” He sat up and leaned his arms against the desk. “Is your brother gonna be putting in a claim for the reward?”
Abe shook his head. “No, the money’s not important to us. We want the truth to come out so Sarah can come home free and clear.”
Sheriff Watson blinked a few times. “We?”
“Yeah, we. You got a problem with that?”
“No. No, of course not.” He coughed and pulled at his collar. “I’ll let her stay in your custody as long as you promise you won’t leave town with her.”
“You have my word. How soon can you get us a hearing in front of a judge?”
“It’ll be a couple of days. Our local judge is making his monthly week-long trek through the countryside, hearing cases in some of the outlying areas. He’ll be back on Friday. I’ll make sure Miss Keevers’s is first on the docket for the day.”
Abe got to his feet. “I appreciate all your help.”
The sheriff shook his hand. “Be sure and keep a sharp eye on Miss Keevers. I’d hate to have her disappear, or for anything to happen to her before Friday.”
“Don’t worry. And, I’ll let you know once I hear from the law firm in New York.”
Abe walked out to the street to hail a ride back to the hotel. It was going to be a long three days.
* * * *
“He walked in pretty as you please and said he had Miss Keevers set up in some fancy room at the St. Louis Arms Hotel right under our noses. I wanted to rush over and take her into custody, but Sheriff Watson says it’s okay to leave her with them lawmen from Kansas until he can get her in front of a judge.”
Hannah Rivers watched Deputy Ellis shuffle back an
d forth between his feet. He’d been a useful source of information in the past, and she had no reason to doubt him now.
“So, she’s right here in town.” Raymond Estes leaned back against her desk.
“How soon is she to be taken in front of the judge?” asked Hannah.
“Judge Arlington is on his monthly rounds and won’t be back until late Thursday. The earliest he could see her is Friday morning.”
Hannah got up and walked to the window. “And this sheriff from Kansas says they have proof she’s innocent?”
“That’s what he said, but he didn’t offer any proof so it’s just his word. Personally, I think she’s been charming him and his brother and they’re just overlooking her guilt. I mean, you told me yourself how she took money and stole those poor kids and is doing who knows what to them. A woman like that wouldn’t have any problems pulling the wool over some country sheriff and his brother. Hell, oh, sorry, Miss Rivers. With her father being who he was, no telling what that woman is capable of.” The deputy put his hat back on his head. “I’ll be going now. I just thought you ought to be aware she’s back in town. Hopefully they can make her tell what she did with your money and get it back for you, not to mention them little orphans.”
Hannah turned and smiled. “Yes, we all hope that. Thank you so much, Deputy, for coming by and please, do keep us informed.” She looked at Raymond. “Would you please show the deputy out, Mr. Estes, and then come right back so we can have a talk.”
“Of course, Miss Rivers.” Raymond looked at Deputy Ellis. “Right this way, Deputy.” He walked out of the room, the deputy right behind him.
Hannah sat down behind her desk and stared at a painting on the wall. So, Sarah has been brought back.
Raymond came back into the room, walked over to the credenza and opened the door. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Sighing, he poured himself a stiff drink.
“Do you think that’s wise?” she asked.
He turned and took a huge swallow. “Shut up, Hannah. We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t felt the need to keep yourself a ledger and all those letters.”
Martine, Missy - Star Wishes (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 21
