The Detective Bride

by Sylvia Damsell

“Maybe never. How long has this land been on the market?”

  “Quite a while.” He pushed his face round hers to see where he was going. “You think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

  “I think you want a ranch and this looked like a viable prospect. Put me down.”

  He set her down but did not move to take her hand. She took his and held it tightly. “Do you remember you telling me why I shouldn’t move in with Bruce and Hazel and also a few other things?”

  “Humph!”

  “At least I was tactful.”

  “Tactful!” His tone was explosive.

  She giggled and put her arm round his waist. “Hold me, grouch, and let’s go before the farm floods.”

  He pulled her against him. “It may never flood.”

  “Probably it won’t but would you want to put your beloved wife in danger and the hundreds of children we’ll have on a may never?”

  “Hundreds?” He held her tighter.

  “Well, two at least so they can be company. I’m sorry, darling, but it is a risk and I don’t think the land is very arable.”

  “And when did you become such an authority on such things?” he asked.

  “I’m not. It’s just what I think. I have a confession to make.”

  “What is that?”

  “I came here before though I went nearer to the lake. There was a man here who was poking around and he said there’s sodium carbonate which someone one day may want to mine. Your land goes right near to the edge of the lake even though this bit is a couple of miles distant.”

  “Why didn’t you take me?” Noah asked, taking his arm off her shoulders.

  She lifted it and put it back. “Because I wanted to be sure before I said anything. I know how much it means to you and I didn’t want you to think I was interfering. I had to be sure.” She looked round. “Look properly and make an informed decision. We could also go nearer the lake thought you can’t take the wagon where I went.”

  “What is sodium carbonate used for?” he asked.

  “They put it in sugar soap which, as you know, is an amazing cleaner.”

  “Do I have to admit I didn’t know that?”

  “Pardon?” She giggled as he pressed her waist and tried to move closer while they walked. “I think it’s also used in some toothpastes as a sort of abrasive ingredient. Sodium carbonate dissolves in water.”

  “You’re very smart,” he said.

  “Observant, not smart.”

  “So we shouldn’t buy the land then?” He grinned as she looked up at him. “Thank you.”

  “Wow!”

  He lifted her as they reached the wagon. “Say that again.”

  “Wow!” She lowered her tone to a sultry level. He put her down and ran to the other side of the wagon.

  “Get on the wagon, wench, and stop wasting my time.”

  “Yes, sir.” She stepped up and he handed her the reins.

  “You can drive.”

  “Thank you. Have you signed anything yet?”

  “I was going to when we got back. His lawyer arranged that we meet in the saloon.”

  “Oh. I don’t suppose you want me with you, do you?”

  “Oh, I do. I definitely do. I want to see you make mincemeat of him.”

  “I can do that,” she said.

  “I know you can. I tell you what. You be the brains and I’ll be the brawn.”

  “I can do a bit of brawn myself, if you recall.”

  “You definitely can. Do I have a bit of brain?”

  “More than I have brawn. Plenty, in fact. There must be other land available.”

  “Maybe we’ll put that on hold at the moment if you don’t mind us renting Bruce’s house.”

  “I’m quite happy with that. I love you.”

  “I know. I’m a loveable guy.”

  But his pride was a bit dented, he had to admit to himself and was grateful when Susannah did not try to take over in the saloon. If he got anywhere near saying it was she who had discovered what was wrong she cut in and made it look as if it was him who was the brains. The only time she interfered was when the lawyer said that Noah would have to pay a fee for allowing things to go this far.

  “How long has he had the land?” she asked.

  “Not long. He paid a lot for it and will lose out by your withdrawal from the sale.”

  “We found out that it was left to him by a relative and he paid nothing for it. Tell him that if he keeps it they might mine there one day and he’ll make some profit. I don’t know how far away that would be but it’s possible. That is, of course, if the ground doesn’t subside anymore and the surrounding area isn’t flooded.”

  “Mine for what?”

  “Sodium carbonate.”

  “There’s no talk of that,” the lawyer said.

  “There’s always the future.”

  “I’m not paying anything,” Noah said. “We haven’t signed any contracts and we could probably prove that your client was selling without giving all the facts concerning the land.”

  The lawyer complained but there was nothing he could do about it. When Noah and Susannah left him he had just ordered a large whisky and was obviously settling in for the night. They walked to the wagon and Hazel ran down the road.

  “I just received a telegram about that land,” she said, holding out a piece of paper. “I hope you don’t mind but I made some enquiries because I’ve been there and seen it.”

  Maybe it was him who needed a drink, Noah thought. Two ladies who had the brains to think things out and however did Bruce cope? Happily and he loved Hazel to bits. Noah knew that from what he said and the way he acted round her.

  “We know,” Susannah said. “We dug into it a bit and looked at the land very closely. We’ve just told the lawyer we don’t want it. Did you come specially into town to tell us?”

  “The Bible study is at the rectory. Bruce and the children have just gone there. If it wasn’t I would have come.”

  “And we forgot it was today.” Susannah looked at Noah.

  “I’d like to go,” he said. “I really enjoy those studies.” Which he did, he knew, and he was the most fortunate man out. “I just want to get something from the mercantile so I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

  “Alright.”

  Susannah put her arms over his shoulders and kissed him slowly. He held her tightly and knew how fortunate and blessed he was. A caring community, which was shown by what Hazel did. The prospect of working with Susannah as well as being married to her and that was wonderful. God, Who was the most important and Who had once again demonstrated His love for them by what the two women had discovered.

  So Susannah being smarter than him didn’t matter and she would say it wasn’t a case of being smarter, he knew. It was just that she didn’t miss anything and for that he was grateful. He was particularly grateful in view of how much money he could have parted with on a non viable project. Going into the mercantile he bought three large boxes of chocolates and three huge bunches of flowers. One for Jonathon and Linda, one for Bruce and Hazel. One for Susannah.

  The children. He mustn’t forget the children. Scooping up loads of pieces of candy, he paid and made his way to the rectory.

  Chapter 29

  Noah put his arms round Susannah where they trod water in the sea in Santa Barbara. The temperature was around sixty five degrees, the sky was cloudless and there was a gentle breeze. The beach was not as full as the last time they came but there were quite a few people on the sand and in the sea. Altogether it was very pleasant.

  “I like honeymoons,” he said. “Can we go back to the hotel?”

  “Noah! We’ve only been here a couple of hours.”

  “Yes. Sorry.”

  She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him slowly. “Anyway, how many honeymoons have you had?”

  “Not as many as I intend to have.”

  “With different ladies?”

  “Could be.” He put his arms under her an
d held her. “Or with you on a regular basis. It will be the midday meal soon.”

  “It’s ten in the morning.” She kissed him again. “Alright then. Shall we play chess until we eat?”

  He made a little roaring sound and she knew she had never been so happy and fulfilled. He was beautiful. He was a dream. He was hers. She changed in a little changing hut which was near the water, they made their way back to the hotel and she never wanted him to let her go.

  They stayed in the hotel until midday and afterwards Susannah wanted to go to the telegraph office prior to swimming again. But Noah stood frowning at her when she made the suggestion and she knew he did not have his mind on work.

  “I also want to show you something,” she said.

  “What something?”

  “You’ll like it, I promise.”

  An apartment in a complex she had discovered the day before when he went to the mercantile and totally private. It had a small unoverlooked swimming pool for each apartment, luxurious rooms and was everything a newly married couple would want.

  When Noah saw it his face was a picture. “Just us?” he asked.

  “Just us.”

  “No cumbersome swimwear?”

  “What ever you want.”

  “Only if you want it too.” His expression was a bit anxious.

  “I want it too. I’ve booked it already. We can have meals delivered to the door or go to a dining room where we would be served. There is entertainment like dancing and concerts a little way away but in the same complex. If you go and get our luggage I will get us a meal. There’s a store on the premises where I bought food.”

  “I do love you so much,” Noah said, putting his arms round her.

  “I love you so much too. We can sometimes go on the beach also and wander round Santa Barbara in the evenings. We can dance if we want, which I want. We can do exactly what we please.”

  “I like that.” He kissed her at some length, made for the door then came back to kiss her again. “Don’t go away.”

  “I won’t. Don’t be long.”

  “I won’t.”

  He strode down the road towards the hotel, eager to get back to Susannah and more than happy with the apartment. He was insatiable for her and she appeared to be the same for him but he must give her space as well and not virtually drag her from the beach as he had earlier. Except that she didn’t make him feel it was dragging and seemed perfectly willing to be alone with him.

  He also mustn’t complain if she wanted to do any initial exploration into Dan and Becky’s mother’s whereabouts or Blair’s for that matter. At least he knew she wanted him and not Blair and that made him feel good. He grinned at the thought then straightened his face as he noticed a couple of women arch their eyebrows at him. Did they think he was smiling at them? He hurried on and it wasn’t long before he reached the hotel.

  “Dreadful,” said a lady in the foyer, looking up at the man with her and shaking her head.

  “A disaster,” he replied.

  Disaster? What disaster? He couldn’t resist asking.

  “A storm is coming up and the pleasure boat that takes people a bit out to sea is in trouble,” the man replied. “I’d go and see if I can help but my doctor said I must avoid stress. It’s my nerves, you know.”

  What would Rachel say about that, Noah thought as he bolted out of the door to the hotel and tore down the road. Would she in her capacity as doctor tell him not to try to save lives? It wasn’t his right to criticise, was his next thought, just to see how he could help. He raced in the direction of the pier and not too far out to sea he could see the pleasure boat.

  He peeled off his jacket, pulled off his boots and socks, ran into the sea and started to swim towards the boat where he noticed some little boats were aiming. It was only about three hours since they had been swimming and it was calm then but now the water was decidedly choppy and the waves higher than then. There was also quite a strong wind.

  He drew parallel to a little boat. “Do they have any smaller boats in case of such an emergency?” he called up.

  “Two I think.” The man who replied was burly. “But they will only take about fifteen passengers and there are likely to be fifty.”

  “I’ll go up and have a look.”

  Noah swam near the boat and someone threw a rope to him from the deck. He shinned up it, leapt on the deck and it was full of obviously petrified passengers. Too many to get off in time but what was causing the boat to sink? The little boats drew alongside and a couple of men started to help people into them by lowering them on a rope. Women and children first, he said, but already four men had gone down the rope and had got into two of the boats.

  Oafs! How dare they? Noah felt like slinging them out of the boats but there was a more pressing matter to attend to. The cause of the boat sinking, which had to be a hole somewhere. He ran up to where the helmsman was about to leave his post, took the tiller and turned it towards land.

  “You need to get it to the pier,” he said.

  “It’s sinking.”

  “I know but keep going. I’ll see if I can find the leak.”

  He went downstairs and it took only minutes to see where the leak was, a leak which had already filled the bottom of the boat to a level of about six inches. Why wasn’t someone doing something about it, Noah thought and what could he cover the hole with? He looked round, grabbed some dirty tarpaulin and stuffed it into the hole, then covered it with a board and hammered the board to the floor.

  “What are you doing?” asked a voice from behind him.

  “Blocking the hole.”

  “The hole will remain where it is.”

  “Pardon?” Noah looked at the man in some surprise.

  “It will remain. Stand up and leave it.”

  Noah did not move. “Why?”

  “None of your business. Do as you’re told or I’ll shoot you.”

  Noah stood slowly, trying to think of a way to overpower the man who by now had produced a pistol which he was aiming at him. Susannah a widow before a fortnight was over? He was not allowing that.

  “I think I’ll shoot you, anyway.” The man continued to speak.

  “Then you’ll be hanged. That’s not very sensible.”

  “Your body will be in the sea. Nobody will know.”

  “Did you put this hole here?”

  “Of course.”

  “Why?”

  If he could keep him talking maybe he could find a way to overpower him. Maybe he was bluffing. Noah had been in similar situations before and managed to get out of them though usually the one with the pistol was a bit further away from him. Could he lunge at him? Probably not because if he did he would be too near. How about throwing himself on the ground and grabbing his legs? No. A lot of damage could be done there too and his head could be blown off because the man was bound to shoot.

  But he had to do something and he didn’t have Susannah nearby to help him. He didn’t want her nearby because it was far too dangerous and women shouldn’t be put in that position. Except that she was no ordinary woman and she would probably work out a strategy in no time. He smiled despite his situation and badly wanted to hold her in his arms at least one more time.

  “So what are you looking so happy about?” the man asked.

  “You need Jesus,” Noah replied.

  “Huh?”

  “Jesus. He’s the only one who can make a man content, whatever his fight against life is. He loves you very much, so much that He died for you and for everyone on the cross in punishment for our sins. If we receive Him He will forgive us, take us into His family and when we die we’ll go to live with Him.”

  A little earlier Susannah had changed her mind about getting a meal, wanting to be with Noah and insatiable for him. Making her way to the hotel which was on the seafront she had spotted the boat and also the crowd which was gathered near the beach watching it. “It’s sinking,” a lady said when she enquired. “A few boats went out to help rescue the passe
ngers and a young man dived in and followed them.”

  “Young man?”

  “Yes. He was taller than most and really good looking. They’re bringing some of the passengers to the pier already.”

  The pier. She lifted her dress and ran towards the end. As she did so she noticed some lawmen standing at the end.

  “They think there is something fishy about the whole business,” she heard one of them say. “And it looks as if someone is pointing a gun at the man driving the boat. We’ve got to get there.”

  “A boat is on its way.”

  “And they’ll shoot them and us. We have to take him by surprise.

  Then what are you waiting for, Susannah thought, stripping off her skirt and underskirt. She tied the skirt round her waist, dived in the water and started to swim towards the boat, the swell hindering her movements but determined and forgetting her fear of the water. Noah was probably there. Other people were in danger. Nobody was going to take her husband away from her.

  Behind her as they watched her go two of the sheriffs dived in as well but she did not notice them. She reached the boat and saw with relief a rope which was on the opposite side to where the man on the bridge stood with a gun. Shinnying up she skirted the side, saw some stairs and went down them.

  “Jesus. He’s the only one who can make a man content, whatever his fight against life is. He loves you very much, so much that He died for you and for everyone on the cross in punishment for our sins. If we receive Him He will forgive us, take us into His family and when we die we’ll go to live with Him.”

  Noah and he was telling whoever it was about Jesus which meant the person could be threatening him and probably with a gun. She pulled on the wet skirt she had round her waist, took out the gun she always carried and hoped guns worked if they were soaking wet. Whatever the situation she was not letting anyone shoot Noah.

  “Put the gun down,” she said. “Or I’ll blow your brains out.”

  The man looked round the room to see where the voice was coming from and Noah lunged at him, knocking the hand with the gun which sent it flying across the room. The man ran for it but Susannah was too quick as she also dived into the shallow water after it. She grabbed the gun, slung it away and Noah knocked the man to the floor. As he pinned him down a dripping sheriff ran into the room.