Diane T. Ashley

by Jasmine

“What’s happened?” She shrank back against the headboard.

  “A floating circus got loose and has run into the Ophelia. Water’s coming in somewhere. Come on, I’ll help you.”

  Angelica nodded and slid from the bed. She drew back when her feet touched the water puddled on the floor. “It’s cold.”

  “I know. But we have to go anyway.” He forced a calm smile onto his face and clung to his patience even though he knew time was slipping away. He couldn’t leave poor Angelica cowering in her room.

  Footsteps ran down the hall toward them. “Angelica?”

  David recognized Rafe’s voice. “She’s in here.”

  The tall leading man ducked into the room and scooped Angelica from the bed, picking her up as though she weighed no more than a ragdoll. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “You get her out. I’ve got to find Jasmine.”

  Rafe looked back over his shoulder. “Could she be outside?”

  David shook his head and waved the actor toward the staircase.

  “Be careful.” The other man tossed the warning back as his long legs negotiated the stairs. “Some of the animals escaped the other barge.”

  Wondering if the cry he’d heard earlier was from a wounded animal, David set his jaw. It shouldn’t take him too long to search the rooms. Heading back to the left corridor, he threw open the door to the stateroom Jasmine shared with Clem, praying he would find her huddled on her bed like Angelica had been. But this room really was empty.

  “David, come on.” Mr. Easley waded through the water in the hallway, a determined look on his face. David realized the water covered the man’s ankles. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t find Jasmine.”

  Easley thrust a thumb over his shoulder. “No one’s back there. I’m the last one out. Could she be with Clem?”

  “No. I think Tabitha’s missing, too.” David could hear the fear in his own voice. He took a deep breath. “They weren’t in Angelica’s room, but I haven’t checked Tabitha’s yet. Maybe they’re both there.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Mr. Easley slipped and fell backward into the rising water.

  “You get out of here.” David helped him up and gave him a push toward the stairs. “I’ll be better off by myself.”

  Easley hesitated a moment, weighing the truth of David’s words. Then he nodded and turned toward the exit. “Hurry.”

  David could see the hole when he turned down the right corridor once more. Something swam past, sloshing even more water past the barge’s hull. A hippopotamus in the Mississippi River?

  He forgot what he’d seen in the next instant as the loud bark of a gun dumped an extra measure of terror into his blood. As he ran forward, David prayed he wasn’t already too late to save Jasmine.

  Tabitha looked around, her eyes wild. As water began to trickle under the doorway, she grabbed an empty trunk and threw it onto her bed.

  “What are you doing?” Arnold tried to catch hold of her arm, but Tabitha pulled free.

  “I have to get my things.” She picked up two pairs of shoes and threw them into the trunk. Then she ran to her dressing table, picked up her jewelry box, and added it to the luggage. “Help me!”

  Arnold shook his head and tucked away his pistol. “You’re crazy, Tabitha. We’ve got to get out of here now.”

  She didn’t slow down. Gathering up armloads of clothes from all over the room, she shoved them into the trunk, quickly filling it up.

  Jasmine edged toward the door. If the two of them wanted to stay here and argue, it was okay with her. She knew how quickly the barge would sink once the water weighed it down. If she could slip past Arnold, she would make a run for it. He might chase her, but she’d stand a better chance of getting away once she was out of Tabitha’s suite.

  “Don’t move another step.” Arnold stopped trying to reason with Tabitha and aimed his weapon at Jasmine’s head.

  Jasmine froze. It looked like she wouldn’t make it out alive after all. Water slipped around her ankles, raising the hair on her arms as she waited for the blast of Arnold’s pistol.

  “Put down that gun and help me.” Tabitha shouted. She slammed the lid on the overfilled trunk and jerked it off the bed. Something happened then. Either the bed moved or Tabitha’s feet slipped, Jasmine wasn’t exactly sure. But the effect was disastrous. The heavy trunk became a missile, slamming Tabitha into the wall beside her. With a loud thud, the woman’s head struck the wall, and she slid to the floor, her eyes shut.

  Instinct sent Jasmine plunging toward Tabitha as the pistol went off, the bullet whizzing harmlessly past her. She didn’t have time for thought. All she knew was that Tabitha would drown if they couldn’t rouse her. “Put that stupid gun down and come help me. We’ve got to get her out of here.”

  “Aren’t you something?” The contempt in Arnold’s voice coupled with the icy water that rose with every passing second sent a cold shiver down her back. “I promise she wouldn’t waste any time saving you.”

  The door slammed open, David’s blazing green gaze locking onto her face.

  “Watch out!” Jasmine called out the warning as Arnold threw himself at David, a murderous glint in his eyes.

  She watched helplessly as the two men struggled, wincing as Arnold managed to land several blows. But then David began to gain the upper hand, his fists punishing the other man until Arnold finally stopped fighting and threw up his hands in a defensive posture. David stepped back, breathing hard, and swiped away a trickle of blood from the edge of his mouth. “Get your hands behind your back.”

  Arnold’s expression turned fearful. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to arrest you as soon as we get out of here.” David glanced around, his gaze lighting on a scarf draped across Tabitha’s dressing table. As he moved forward to get it, Arnold shoved him hard. David went down to one knee. Before he could recover his balance, the other man fled through the open door.

  Jasmine looked down at Tabitha’s pale face. A large lump had formed on the woman’s forehead, probably the reason she was still out cold. “Help me with Tabitha.”

  David glanced toward the doorway, shook his head, and moved toward her. “You go on. I’ll get her.”

  Screams from somewhere nearby made her catch her breath. It sounded like Arnold had met his match. Even if he had been ready to kill her, she could not find any pleasure in whatever caused his shrieks. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

  David’s sigh was louder than the water rushing into the room. “You never do what I tell you to do.”

  Heedless of the danger surrounding them, she smiled at him. “I’m just trying to save her life so she’ll have a chance to know the Lord. Someone once reminded me how important a job that is.”

  His eyes softened. “Come on.” He put his hands under Tabitha’s knees and back, lifting her with a grimace. “When Rafe picked up Angelica, he made it look effortless.”

  Jasmine was glad to hear the couple was safe. Time was running out. She stood and realized the water had risen to the height of her knees. Would they be able to get out before the barge was completely engulfed?

  When she stepped into the hall, Jasmine could see the hole in the side of the barge. A movement close to the opening made her squint toward it. She raised a hand and pointed. “Is that a lion?” A growl answered her question.

  “A floating circus hit us.” David whispered the information. “Rafe said some of the animals got loose.”

  As Jasmine’s eyesight adjusted to the dim corridor, she saw the snarl that revealed the animal’s deadly teeth. She clutched David’s arm. “Is that what happened to Arnold?”

  He nodded and inclined his head toward the other end of the hallway. “We need to get back to the staircase now. I don’t think the lion will attack us unless he feels cornered, but I don’t really want to test that theory.”

  They pushed through the rising water, reaching the stairs after what seemed an eternity. As th
ey climbed out of the water, Jasmine realized how tense her shoulders were. She had expected every moment to feel the lion’s claws tear into her back. She held open the door to the theater, expecting to see further evidence of the devastation caused by the collision. The room was canted at an odd angle, but that was the only indication something was wrong. Jasmine picked up her wet skirts and hurried after David.

  When they reached the door to the outside, she felt like she was walking into a maelstrom. Voices shouted, and people were running back and forth from the Ophelia to the floating circus. A pair of elephants stood on the bank, their giant ears moving back and forth like great gray wings. Monkeys chattered and ran between the legs of the circus performers like rambunctious children. A large tiger, thankfully still confined, paced the length of its cage and growled at anyone who dared approach.

  “There they are!” Jasmine heard Clem’s voice and saw her friend jumping up and down as though her feet were made of coils.

  Rafe ran across the gangplank and took Tabitha from David. “Did the lion attack you?”

  David shook his head. “Arnold Garth wasn’t so lucky.”

  “I see.” Rafe settled the unconscious woman against his shoulder before heading back to the riverbank.

  “I didn’t think you would come for me, David.” A shudder shook Jasmine’s aching shoulders as they followed a few steps behind Rafe. She let her skirts drop to keep from displaying her legs to the curious onlookers. “You said you were done pulling me out of scrapes.”

  He looked straight ahead, his stride long. “Old habits die hard.”

  “Thank you anyway.” Jasmine’s wet skirts made it impossible to keep up with him. When he realized she had fallen behind, David turned around, his green gaze seeing more than she wanted. With a roll of his eyes, he came back and lifted her into his arms. “Don’t you know yet that I’ll always come rescue you?”

  She put an arm around his shoulders and let her head drop down to his chest. She might be wet and exhausted, but Jasmine had never felt quite so treasured in her whole life.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  I still find it hard to believe Tabitha Barlow is a bank robber.” Clem sat on the bright, dimity-covered window seat, her scissors and a large square of cloth in her hands.

  “I know. “Jasmine wandered over and sat next to her, looking down at a carriage traveling along First Street. She was glad their boardinghouse faced the river. It afforded them an ever-changing view of the traffic and people. “I was so shocked when I heard her and Arnold discussing their plans.”

  “You were very brave to go to her room for the evidence.”

  “That’s not how David phrased it.”

  Clem giggled. “He was upset because he doesn’t like the idea of you getting hurt. That man loves you.”

  “Do you really think so?” Jasmine could feel the heat burning her cheeks. “He hasn’t been by but once since the accident.”

  “He’s got a lot to do. Trust me, he’ll be here as soon as he can.”

  “I still can’t believe the Ophelia is gone.”

  Clem snipped at a corner of the cloth and sighed. “I know. All those lovely costumes.”

  “Now you sound like Tabitha.”

  “Heaven forbid. Did she really try to get all her clothes packed into trunks?”

  “And her shoes and jewelry. “Jasmine could hardly believe it either. She still cringed to think of Tabitha’s compulsion to save her material belongings over her life. The poor woman really didn’t understand what was important.

  Anyone looking at the dock today would never realize the drama that had played out there three days earlier. She sighed and turned away from the window. “I suppose it’s a blessing how few people actually died that afternoon.”

  “Poor Arnold.” Clem pursed her lips as she studied the material. “Imagine running directly into the path of that dangerous beast.”

  “The newspaper said the animals are being kept in several warehouses while new cages are made to replace those that couldn’t be salvaged from the wreck.” Jasmine wandered to the writing desk in one corner of their room, looking at the note she had written to her sisters. She had spent all morning on that task, trying to apologize for her actions. It was difficult to explain the choices she had made over the past months. Looking back, she barely understood the reasons herself. At least the letter would let them know she was unhurt and that she was coming home.

  Clem picked up a doll and measured the length of cloth against it. “Do you think Rafe and Angelica will be happy?”

  Jasmine watched her friend work on her project. “Is that who the doll is for?”

  “Oh, no. It’s for Mrs. O’Hara’s daughter.”

  “The lady who owns the boardinghouse?” Jasmine was surprised Clem would put so much effort into a dress for a stranger’s child. “I hope she appreciates getting an original design by a seamstress as talented as you.”

  “Since Mr. and Mrs. Easley have decided not to buy another showboat, I need something to do.” Clem took out her needle and a spool of white thread.

  “You could get a job on a different showboat. I’m sure the Easleys would give you a good reference.”

  Clem stitched away with her usual speed. “I’m tired of living on the river.”

  Jasmine was surprised by her friend’s statement. She thought Clem loved the theater, or at least the costume work she did. Did she share Jasmine’s disillusionment because of the immorality and greed rampant among the Ophelia’s actors? “What will you do?”

  “Mrs. O’Hara’s sister owns a millinery shop. She thinks I can probably get a job there if I prove I have sufficient talent. “Clem grinned at her. “So now you see that my charitable work will benefit me as well as our landlady’s daughter.”

  “I’m glad you’ve decided not to return to the theater.” Jasmine tapped the table with one finger. “It’s so different from what I expected. So debauched. I expected a world of excitement and adulation, not lechers and bank robbers.”

  “So you’re not going to be an actress anymore?” Clem’s needle halted midstitch. “What will you do?”

  “Go home, I guess.” Jasmine sighed. “I’m not really sure.”

  Choked laughter answered her sigh. “Save your melodrama for somebody else. I know a certain handsome detective who’s not going to let you get very far away.”

  “Perhaps.” Jasmine remembered the way David had carried her across the gangplank. “All I know is I need to pray about what God wants me to do for the future.”

  “You really are serious about this God stuff, aren’t you?” Clem put down the doll dress, her gaze sober.

  “I know I haven’t been a very good example to you and the others on the Ophelia.” Jasmine found the words difficult to say out loud. “Being a Christian is a very serious matter, something I forgot for a while. Christ lives in my heart. He’s the One I want to keep my eyes on, the One I want to follow, no matter what. In a way, Tabitha helped me see how silly I had been. When she started packing that trunk as the ship was sinking, it dawned on me that I was guilty of the same thing—putting emphasis on the things of this world, things that have no eternal value. Jesus said that our hearts would be in the same place as our treasures. I forgot that for a while.”

  “I can’t tell you I’m ready to make a commitment today, but I have seen a difference in you. And I like it.” Clem resumed her handwork. “I hope you’ll pray for me.”

  “I always do.” Jasmine found encouragement in Clem’s words. “But don’t delay too long. We never know when death may be lurking around a corner. Arnold’s death was terrible, the circumstances of course. But the worst thing of all is that he may not have been saved when he left this world. The idea of anyone having to be separated from God forever is too horrifying to consider.”

  “I see what you mean.” Clem’s thoughtful gaze raked her face.

  Deciding to leave the subject for now, Jasmine made a promise to herself to redouble her prayers for Clem’
s salvation. She knew God loved Clem as much as she did. And His business was calling people to Him.

  “What will happen to Vance?”

  David winced at Jasmine’s question. Did she still care for the man, after all? He had hoped, dreamed even, that she returned his feelings. They had seemed to grow so close after leaving Cairo. Had it been nothing more than an act on her part? “The charges of murder and armed robbery were dropped, but he’s pled guilty to theft. He’ll have to serve time.”

  Standing on the deck of the Coriander, he watched as they once again reached the intersection of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. How appropriate. His feelings were as turbulent as the merging currents below their boat.

  He angled a look at Jasmine. Her beauty had deepened to a new level, a realization that made his heart ache.

  “I still can’t believe he stole money from the Easleys. From all of us on the Ophelia.” A strand of her coal-black hair escaped from Jasmine’s coiffure and brushed her cheek.

  David’s fingers itched to smooth it back, let his fingers caress her soft skin. He gripped the rail tighter instead. “He proved unworthy of the trust you placed in him.”

  “Maybe he’ll change while he’s in prison.”

  He should be warmed by her obvious faith in the man, but he was too human to completely avoid a wave of resentment. He cleared his throat and searched for a different subject. “Tabitha’s facing more serious charges. She was involved in two murders and more than a dozen robberies. I don’t see how she’ll avoid being hanged.”

  Jasmine brushed the hair away from her face. “I can’t help but remember how she tried to warn me away from the theater when I first began to gain recognition aboard the Ophelia. I didn’t realize at the time that she had my best interests at heart.”

  “I imagine her motives were more about self-protection than altruism.” He didn’t want to hurt Jasmine, but she needed to understand how evil Tabitha really was. He remembered the interview he’d conducted after she was placed under arrest. She had tried to place blame on everyone but herself, painting herself as victim rather than villain. First it was Arnold Garth who had led her astray, then Vance Hargrove. She had even accused Clem and Jasmine of trying to usurp her position on the Ophelia. “She was jealous of you.”