"No, Dani," Hunter said. "Come on, go to bed. You can't rest there." Hunter caught her under the arms and practically lifted her from the chair. He walked her across to the bed and sat her down. "Go to bed, and don't wake Abby," he whispered.
"She didn't want to sell her body. Her father beat her and her lover left her… She so wanted a husband and family to love."
"Forget that, get some sleep," Hunter insisted as he finally pushed her to a prone position and pulled the covers over her. She was still mumbling when he switched off the light, grabbed a blanket, and went back to his chair.
* * * * *
Dani and Abby looked tired and didn't take many pains with their appearance before going down to breakfast, Hunter noted, amused. They just wanted to find the coffee.
Hunter, on the other hand, looked rested and as disgustingly vital as ever to the girls. They watched with frowns while he wolfed down a huge meal.
"Did you find anything helpful in the journal yet?" he asked later after the girls slapped on their faces and they were in the car on the way to Abby's apartment. "You were at it long enough last night."
"Maybe. I have to go back over my notes," Dani answered with a stifled yawn. "I must have been half asleep when I made them. Did you finish your story, Abby?"
"Yep, all ready to turn into my editor. Now if Bob got the photos developed, I should be able to meet my deadline. I don't think I want to go upstairs right now, Hunter. If you'll let me out near my car, I'm going straight on to the newspaper," she told Hunter as they drove beneath her apartment building. "Goodness knows, I don't want to start the day by looking at the mess up there."
"Okay. I'll check and make sure your apartment is secured. Do you need an escort to work? I can call in someone or we can follow you then come back," Hunter offered.
"No, I'll be okay. But watch out for Dani. She's the one they're following now. I promise I won't go anywhere I might be alone. I'll even make someone go to the loo with me."
"You'd better. Then come back to the hotel when you get finished for the day. I'll have the desk clerk hold a key for you," Dani ordered. "We're going to pick up a couple of cheap cell phones too. I'll call you with my number.
"Aye, aye, Captain." Abby laughed and searched out her keys as Hunter stopped behind her car. "My cleaning service is sending a crew over tomorrow to take care of everything for me. This should be the last night I need to stay with you."
"Not necessarily. We don't want you hurt if whoever broke in decides to come back," Hunter argued.
Abby and Dani looked at each other, but didn't say anything.
* * * * *
"I don't even know your last name," Dani suddenly remarked as she and Hunter left the cell phone retailer and he drove quickly and competently through the traffic. She'd talked him into taking one of the tours of Old Seattle.
"Hunter's enough for most people," he told her. "Is your last name Adaire, like Derek's? And is Dani short for Danielle?"
"Yes, my last name is Adaire, but Dani is short for Danalia. We had the same father, but different mothers. Now, tell me your name."
"Hunter H. Hunter," he answered as he grinned at her.
"And let me guess, the H stands for...umm...Hunter?"
"You're a genius. What do you hope to accomplish on this tour?" Hunter changed the subject, again.
"I'm not sure. I just need to get the feel of the place. Soak in some of the history."
"Uh-oh, every time Derek says something like that I get into trouble."
"I'm not Derek. Do you and Derek work together a lot?" Dani pointed out a street where they needed to turn.
"You know I can't talk about our work, Dani, other than to say we do cross paths quite often." Hunter saw a frown wrinkle her brow.
"I know." Being used to the secrecy didn't mean she had to like it. Derek worked for an agency of the government that technically didn't exist. He carried ID from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, or the DOJ, depending on what assignment he'd been given. "I just like to know he has good people around him. His moods seem so dark sometimes when he comes home," Dani explained. "He doesn't seem to be able to...well, to laugh or relax much anymore."
"He's probably tired whenever he makes it home. Derek puts a lot of effort into his work. Like you, last night."
"There's the place." Dani gladly distracted Hunter. She really didn't like people watching her work. Hiding her emotions while she concentrated was impossible. The depths needed for her work shut out everything and everyone else while removing all her barriers. Dani often revealed too much and it made her feel extremely vulnerable.
Chapter Six
The upper floors of the old tavern were refurbished into a gift shop and ticket office. They bought tickets and wandered around among the souvenirs until time for the tour to start. Hunter surreptitiously pointed out the two men following them and told Dani to stay close to his side.
The two men, one tall and lanky with a blond ponytail and one shorter and stockier with a bald head, bought tickets but stayed well away from them while remaining within sight.
Their tour guide gathered them and led them below to start the tour. A fairly large group, the guide herded them like cattle while imparting all sorts of information as they walked. Some of it factual, some rumor, and much of it gossip and fiction, but it supposedly added to the fun. The Legend of Lovely Lottie's Treasure, various ghost tales, and interesting historical facts were recited along the way.
For Dani, the steel beams and concrete reinforcement plainly visible throughout the sections they toured ruined the ambience. With such a large group of people around, she couldn't concentrate enough to connect to anything useful.
A friend of Derek's who specialized in paranormal psychology once explained that she seemed to pick up on residual energy left from people and events from the past. Therefore, she actually needed to make contact with something from the place or time in order to 'see' anything useful. Added to her unusual gift, Dani was very intuitive and highly observant, as well as very talented at solving puzzles.
The entire place smelled like mice, mold, and dirty socks. No wonder most of it had been closed off for fear of the plague in the early nineteen hundreds. But she did get an idea of what they were facing in trying to locate the legendary old coins, if they existed. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack which had been burned, scattered, and covered over. Lottie would have to be very forthcoming in the rest of her journal for it to be of any help.
Hunter found the place fascinating. He got a kick out of the raised toilets, or 'Crappers' as they were called then and the history behind them. The logistics and the planning which had gone into maintaining businesses on the lower level, while building above, intrigued him.
Even as he listened and took in everything around them, Hunter kept an eye on the men following Dani. Her safety his primary concern, he couldn't let his guard down for even a moment.
The group ended the tour at the lower level of the tavern remodeled as a saloon where drinks and meals were served. Dani preferred not to stay. Instead, she wanted to get away from the crowds and go to the library to do more research.
After sharing burgers, fries, and sodas at a fast food café, they located the main library. An aged librarian with the requisite bun in her graying hair and dark-rimmed glasses helped Dani locate what she needed.
Dani was soon up to her elbows in old books about the history of Seattle. She was shown the microfiche film system and machine that would let her read the old newspapers from around the time of the 1889 fire. Even though a lot of material was now available on computer, it didn't cover what Dani needed to research.
After working through most of the afternoon, Hunter realized his eyes hurt and someone was in his head pounding away with hammers. He watched Dani rub her forehead and then the back of her neck. She must also feel the effects of the long hours and had to be tired too.
"Dani, we've had enough for today. I can't see straight anymore. Besides,
Abby should be finished and back at the hotel by now. We really need to go."
"You're right. The words are beginning to run together. Let me finish this one article and I'll be ready," she agreed, continuing to read through squinted eyes.
At last, she sat back and flipped off the machine. "Wonder what our friends out there think of us spending all afternoon in here?" Dani stood up stiffly and stretched. Sitting in one place for hours wasn't as easy now as it used to be.
"On top of that tour this morning, who knows? At least while they're following us, they can't be bothering anyone else." Hunter tried to hurry her as she gathered up her notes.
But Dani took her time and carefully shoved them in the large catchall bag she'd brought with her. She waved to the librarian as they left.
"I've got a call. Has to be Derek or my friend at the FBI. Hold on," Hunter told her as they reached the front steps of the library. "Hello." He listened and then walked away a few steps to speak privately.
Dani crossed her arms against the damp air and waited. A running figure suddenly shoved her while grabbing at her bag. She held on tightly to the strap as she tucked and rolled, just the way her self-defense instructor taught her years ago. Hearing running feet go by her head, she risked a look and saw Hunter flying after her attacker.
On the sidewalk near the street he stopped, realizing the futility. Giving up the chase, he ran back to check on Dani. "Are you okay? What happened?" At her nod, Hunter helped her rise to her feet. "I couldn't leave you to go after him. It might have been an attempt to lure me away and get you alone. I'll call the police." He started to dial, but Dani shook her head.
"No, don't. I didn't even see him, and we'll just be tied up filing reports that go nowhere. He didn't get what he was after, so let's go check on Abby. I really am okay," she assured him. Dani placed one shaky hand on his arm. "Please, Hunter."
"I didn't get a good look at him either." Hunter looked grim as he held her arm and walked her to the car. "I shouldn't have let that happen. If he'd had a weapon…"
"Hunter, I'm fine. I think he just wanted the research, or maybe he thought the journal was in there." She touched his lower jaw with her fingertips and gave him a weak smile. "But it's nice you care."
Once in the SUV on their way to the hotel, he told her, "It wouldn't look good on my resume if I let anything happen to you. Not to mention the crap I would get from Derek. We also have some unfinished business to take care of."
Dani arched her brows. "We do?"
"Absolutely. I'm going to take you out on a date, sooner or later, Miss Danalia Adaire. You can write that down in your notes and study it." His eyes turned a soft brown like her favorite melted chocolate as he gave her a very sexy half-smile.
Dani swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and licked her dry lips. Then, not knowing what to say, she watched the wet streets of Seattle go by as he drove.
* * * * *
Abby was safely locked in the hotel room munching on pizza when they arrived. A large open carryout box sat in the center of the table and papers were scattered over the bed. "Sorry, guys, I'll pick up my mess. I'm working on a Halloween story for the Daily Star." She moved toward the bed, but Dani stopped her.
"No, keep working. I need a shower. Did you save me any pizza?" Dani peeked in the box as she asked. "Yum, my favorite – pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, and bell peppers." She grabbed a slice and took a huge bite.
"And you question what I eat." Hunter made a face and shrugged out of his wet jacket after making sure the door locked behind him.
"It's not what you eat – it's the amount," Dani scoffed as she chewed. "Anybody object if I take my turn in the bath?"
After a soak in the tub, and dressed in her favorite black sweatshirt and sweat pants, Dani felt ready to get back to work and definitely more relaxed.
She went to pick up the journal from the bed, but it wasn't there. Looking around quickly, she saw it in Hunter's hands.
"What are you doing?" She stood beside his chair, hands on her hips.
"Trying to decipher this handwriting. This is really faded, and she wasn't very literate, was she?" He handed the cracked, leather-bound book to her. "The only thing I can make sense of are the notes in the back."
"She actually did very well for someone who never went to school. A lot of women back then never learned to read or write. Some of this takes practice. You should try to read documents written in Old English if you think this is hard to figure out." Dani flipped to the last page. On the back of it, William's mother had written notes as Lottie explained about the hidden treasure.
Dani knew additional clues hid inside, if she could just focus and pull them out. "I'm going to work a while. Abby and I will be fine if you want to stay in your room." She could really use a break from all the testosterone.
"Sorry, no deal. I'll just camp out here and stay out of your way unless you need me." He gestured to the TV in front of him.
"Suit yourself," she grumped then joined Abby at the table where the reporter was hard at work.
Deep into the journal and late into the night, Dani reached an understanding of Lottie's way of thinking. Lottie took care to hide the sacks in a convenient location. The spot was easy for her to get to so she could add more coins, but not a place likely to be stumbled upon by chance.
Dani definitely needed to get below and locate the area near the brothel in order to find the right spot. She tossed her pen down and stood up to stretch.
"Doing okay?" Hunter quietly asked from near the window.
"Yes, just stiff and sleepy." She yawned.
"Our tail is back again. The car this time," he informed her as he replaced the drape to walk across the room and re-check the door.
"I really need to find the location of the brothel and a way to get close to it tomorrow. This is taking too long."
"How about city records? Would they have an old map or blueprint of the city from before the fire?" Hunter suggested as he leaned back into the easy chair. The TV was on, the sound muted.
"That's possible. I thought those old records would have been moved to the library years ago, but evidently they weren't. We should find that office tomorrow."
"All right. My contact called and can't find anything on the truck either."
"Guess we do this the hard way then." Dani shook her head.
"My friend's still looking, so maybe we'll have more tomorrow. Or maybe I'll knock on their car window and ask. For now, we probably need to get some sleep," Hunter suggested.
Dani agreed and reached to switch off the lamp.
Abby turned over and pulled the covers over her head.
After a final bite of pizza, Dani slid into the unoccupied side of the bed and tried to sleep.
* * * * *
Abby had showered and dressed and Hunter was nowhere in sight when Dani opened her eyes. She groaned and yawned, but sat up anyway.
"Hunter went across the hall to shower and change. I have to go to the paper for a little while, but I can help this afternoon if there's anything you need me to do. I called the restaurant for coffee and some of those rolls we like. Bathroom's yours if you want it." Abby stopped and looked at her friend crawling slowly out of the bed. "Are we getting anywhere with this, Dani, really?"
"Yeah, Abs, we're getting there. I think I made a breakthrough last night. Lottie's stash is close to the old brothel location, but not exactly there. If I can get a map or some records and find a place to start – and if that area hasn't been filled in – we might be in business. Be back in a minute," Dani said and ambled into the bathroom.
Abby picked up the journal from the bedside table and ran her hands over the old leather. "Lottie girl, if you want to help your great-granddaughter, you'd better give up your secrets and soon," she whispered. A sense of impending danger seized her and transparent figures in old-style nightclothes or partially dressed ran screaming from flaming buildings before her eyes. She dropped the journal, shook her head, and forced the imagined figure
s away.
Something was going to happen. Strong forces were at work and the three of them were definitely involved in the outcome – be it good or bad. "Maybe we should never have gotten into this. I could have just given your diary to Alicia and went on with my life. Too late now, I guess."
"What, Abby?" Dani reentered the room. "I didn't hear you."
"I was talking to myself." At the knock on the door, she added, "There's the coffee." She moved to the door and peeked before unlocking it.
Chapter Seven
In the basement of Town Hall where the city record archives were housed, Hunter and Dani finally unearthed an old book of plats. The corners of the cover were dark and brittle, slightly charred, and dated 1887 – two years before the fire.
Dani grew excited when she found the plat of the lot containing the old saloon where they ended the tour the day before. A detailed line drawing showed how the saloon sat in relation to streets and businesses adjoining it. Dani hoped and prayed for a similar one of the brothel.
Hunter helped her carry the oversized book to an old table in one corner and then carefully folded back the brittle, yellowed pages as she studied them. She looked like a child in a candy store and he wanted to kiss her, dust and all. He fought back the urge and watched as she traced lines on the pages with her finger and took note of street names and landmarks. Suddenly at the next page, she grew very still.
"What?" he asked in alarm.
"I found it. There..." She pointed to an almost perfect square labeled Maggie's Rooms to Let located across the street, but almost a block west of the saloon. The tour they took went east of the saloon. They needed to go in the opposite direction.
"How do you know it's the same place?" Hunter arched a brow at her and waited.
"From what I read yesterday– I think it actually began as a boarding house, but the owner didn't make enough and started housing single girls. One thing led to another and… Besides, can you imagine Maggie's Pleasure Rooms or some such on a business license?" she giggled.
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