“Well isn’t this the little lass who lives out near your hunting lodge?”
Dominic turned to the Senator from Pennsylvania who had taken so much pleasure in the hunting that he returned every year. Mirisa smiled politely as Dominic talked to him. He turned back and took Mirisa’s arm as they walked out of the Capitol.
“Are you still taking men out to hunt?”
“I’ve actually built another house for the visitors but it is more popular than ever.”
“Doesn’t it take a lot of your time?”
“No, I have guides now so I don’t even have to be there.”
“Thank you for the tour and lunch.” She leaned up and kissed him raising the eyebrows of several people looking out the windows hoping to get a glance of this woman. He pulled her in so close that it was inappropriate.
“It was my pleasure.” Dominic escorted her out to her carriage and watched as it pulled away. He pulled out his watch noting that he was late for the committee meeting.
The night was moonless and the air hung heavy with the overpowering blossoms They took Magazine Street down to Canal Street and headed for the docks. It was always lively no matter what time of day since the dock workers did most of the loading and unloading at night. They tied up at the Dock Master’s Shed which was lit up. James opened the door as the young man turned asking if he could help them in any way. He was wearing a tie and vest with a clipboard in his hand and a pencil behind his right ear. There was lead smudges on his lips right in the middle. James smiled because licking a pencil was a habit that many young bankers and accountants seemed to pick up. It wouldn’t be long before he started getting headaches and experience confusion.
“We’d like to see the Dock Master.”
“Sorry but he headed out for dinner and won’t be back for a while.”
Garnett leaned against the counter and lit his cigar. The young man looked up from his ledger. “If you’d like to come back in the ‘morning, I’m sure he’ll be around.”
“Morning? I thought he was out for dinner?”
“Well, sometimes he finds other things to extend his dinner but I generally leave at ten which is when business slows down so I can’t tell you when he will return. It’s a quiet night you know.”
James shifted his weight looking out the dirty window at the docks. “Is there anyone who can give us a quote on a shipment that must move tonight?”
“Depends on what you’re shipping and how far.”
“What we’re shipping is crated so it’s not important what it is and needs to be off loaded in Natchez.”
“The Natchez docks?”
“Yes.” James ran the match along the top of the counter and lit his cigar. “I’ll pay double the going rate.”
The young man smiled and walked over to the filing cabinet and brought out a book. He walked over to the counter and opened it licking his fingers as he turned the page. He ran his finger down the column and turned to the next page.
“How many crates?”
“Two.”
“Small shipment.” He stopped and looked up. He pulled his glasses from on top of his head and took his pencil out writing down a number. “Well, that will be a hundred to go to Vicksburg and double you would have to give me two hundred in cash.”
James reached in his pocket and pulled out a lot of money and put two hundred and twenty on the counter. “What time?”
“In about fifteen minutes?”
“Which dock?”
“Drive your wagon down to the far dock which is number 16 and they’ll load everything for you but you might want to slide a little extra across their palms if you follow me.”
“No problem.” Garnett straightened up and nodded to the man before they walked outside.
“Graft is so great in the way that it mushrooms.”
“Pretty slick. He’ll give the Dock Master the full amount and pocket the rest. No wonder he works late nights.”
They instructed the wagon driver to go to dock 16 and they tied up their horses off the street and walked down to the loading bay. There were twenty or thirty men working on the boat and docks. James asked for the foreman and watched at how well the men worked together. A burly man in baggie pants and a sleeveless shirt walked from the edge of the dock to James. Garnett stood back in the shadows near the horses. After James handed him the bill of lading, he called to several men who climbed up on the wagon. They unloaded the wagon as James gave him instructions on where to unload the crates and to leave them on the dock. James handed the foreman a hundred dollars, nodded and walked back to Garnett. They mounted their horses and disappeared into the shadows as they headed up Race Street back into the city. They stopped and James pulled out his glasses watching the foreman as he made sure the boxes were loaded.
“What do you think of these new electric lights?”
“I guess they’ll catch on.”
“Drop your guns.” Both James and Garnett turned to the high pitched voice that came out of the dark. The boy couldn’t have been more than fifteen or sixteen and sounded like a dog was chewing on his balls. “I said get off your horses.”
“No, you said drop your guns. Which do you want our guns or for us to get off our horses?”
“Don’t ya’ mess with me or ya’ll will be regretin’ it.” Two more figures appeared out of the dark which made Garnett smile. “I will shoot you dead right here.”
James dismounted before the boy finished his sentence and when he stepped forward James caught him under the chin sending him against the building where he hit the rough bricks before slumping over in a puddle of raw sewage sending the river rats running behind the stacked crates. The second boy jumped on James back as he swung around catching him under the arm and flipping him over his shoulder slamming him on the ground as his arm snapped in half. Garnett sat quietly watching as the third boy ran toward James aiming low as James kicked out catching his face head on with his boot knocking out all of his front teeth. James straightened and cracked his knuckles before climbing back on his horse.
“Damn hooligans. It’s time they straighten out the city before it’s too dangerous for even me to be out at night.”
“The clerk is leaving.” They watched as he passed heading along Race to St. Thomas where he turned and finally stopped between two row houses and dismounted. James and Garnett waited then headed back to the Dock Master’s office. They watched until the Dock Master walked out heading down the docks talking to a foreman. Garnett slipped into the office and pulled the ledger out of the drawer. Under it was two other ledgers. Garnett looked around and found a couple of dusty books. He lifted out the ledgers and put the books in the drawer before he slipped back out. The Dock Master would go after his clerk when he discovered the ledgers missing. They didn’t imagine it would be a pretty ending.
As they tied up their horses, Garnett looked over the large building unsheathed his knife lifting the latch to the lobby. The inner door swung open without a problem as James reached up and lowered the lanterns on the wall. They checked the names on the doors and climbed to the second floor. Her door was on the back of the building in the corner. Garnett walked to the door at the back of the hall and opened it noting that the stairs headed down into the alley and that the door had been propped open. Garnett removed the stick so that the door locked when it closed. He nodded to James who listened at the door before picking the lock and entering the apartment.
The scent of the room was over powering rose water. James acclimated to the light coming in from the street and worked his way across the room to the open door. He could see the small figure in the bed. James went back into the parlor and slowly lifted the glass stopper off of the bottle of absinthe taking in the heavy smell of anise. He took the vial out of his pocket that contained a small amount of absinthe that had been steeped in an opiate. He poured it into the bottle replacing the stopper. James lit the small lantern on the table and sat down taking out his gun twirling it so the only sound was the soft clickin
g of the cylinder.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my apartment?”
James smiled as she stood in the doorway in a very light nightgown with her blonde hair curling around her shoulders. Her eyes were heavy with probably alcohol consumption. The gun didn’t seem to faze her as she crossed the room to the small table and poured a shot of absinthe before she opened a gold case and took out a cigarette that was rolled in gold paper. She provocatively bent over the lantern and lit it before she turned back to James.
“Are you here to shoot me?”
“I hadn’t planned on it. I just thought it was a good place to wait.”
“He won’t be back until tomorrow morning but I assume you already know his schedule.” She sat down on the settee and watched James as she flicked her finger on the cigarette while sipping her drink. “So, is there something I can offer you while you wait?”
“Depends on what you are offering.”
She downed her shot and stood up walking toward him. She took the gun out of his hand and set it on the table before she straddled him. He pulled her down and kissed her roughly. She smelled of anise and stale cigarettes mingled in with overpowering toilet water.
“What is your name?”
“Christine.”
“You’re not from New Orleans.”
“You are awfully curious Mr. Alcorn.”
James smiled. “I prefer to know the devil I’m with instead of being surprised.”
“You don’t remember me?”
“Your face but not your name.”
She stood and walked over to the table and took the stopper off the bottle holding it up offering him a drink.
“Thank you but I never learned to like the taste.”
“So I assume you are here because you have uncovered some improprieties in the business. What is your intent?”
“Right now I would like to…”
“That’s what I love most about a man. No scruples, no problems and nothing is so important that it interferes with great sex.” She drank the shot and poured another one. “Are you as good as you used to be? I hate to sleep with a man who has trouble maintaining his interest.”
James stood up and walked toward her. He slowly slipped her straps off her shoulders watching it slid down her body as it caught for a moment on her nipples before fluttering to the floor. He looked back up at her as she turned her attention from the gun on the table to James.
“I believe you used to enjoy the seduction more than most.” Christine’s voice was very gravely as she swayed slightly. James kept his hands on her forearms as she half smiled and he could see the opium dilating her pupils. “Does it seem incredibly hot tonight?”
“New Orleans always seems to hang heavy in the night.”
The perspiration ran down her neck and followed the cleavage disappearing in her bellybutton. James wondered at what point he had become slower and required more visual stimulation. He stepped away from her and walked over to the absinthe taking off the stopper and filling her glass. When he turned around she was pointing the gun in his direction but it was a stretch to say she was pointing it at anything.
“You really must think I am slow or something.” She stumbled and caught herself raising the gun again. “A man should never allow a woman to take his gun or fall asleep with money in his pocket.” He stood quietly as she reached out for the glass. “Ruddy will not be happy at all when he finds out you have caught on to his enterprise.”
“Why is that?”
“Because we have taken so much money that he had to open a bank account in my name.” She leaned forward putting the gun up against his chest. “My real name and when we’re done it will be transferred to New York.”
“I thought Christine was your real name.”
Christine hit him in the chest with the gun and laughed. “Oh yeah but my real name is Christine Louise McDougell. That you didn’t know. And do you know why you didn’t know?”
“Why?”
“Because you are just another pig who takes sex like it is his to claim whenever the mood moves him. Oh yeah, just take her baubles and take her out for outrageous dinners and the sex better be given freely. Men are pigs.”
“I can’t disagree with you at all.”
“You are a hypocrite. You fill a woman’s head with stupid compliments and promises before you steal her innocence then you just disappear. At least with Ruddy I knew he would treat me like crap but you I expected more from. I should just kill you right now.”
She slowly was leaning to one side as he put his hand on her hip to support her as she sipped on the drink kissing his neck talking gibberish about pigs. He led her into the bedroom as she climbed up onto the bed then collapsed in what she considered a ‘come hither’ seductive pose as she pursed her lips before she passed out. James took the glass and put it next to the bed with the absinthe. He took his gun out of her hand and reloaded it before putting it in his shoulder harness.
James let Garnett in as he went through the drawers in her room lifting the small black banking book out of the dresser. He flipped through until he found an executed power of transfer. He handed it to Garnett who smiled because it would be so easy to forge another document. “I don’t think Ruddy is going to be a very happy man when he shows up tomorrow.”
“Will she remember you?”
“Yes and no. It will take her days to come out of the stupor but they have no defense so I doubt if they will do anything except leave town.”
They went back to the house and went through the bank book and ledgers and were amazed at how much money was being stolen. James fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire as Garnett turned down the lights and put the ledgers on the desk. It was going to be a good year once they unloaded the business along with the corruption that seemed to be eating New Orleans alive. He would have to meet with an agent to sell the house and close that chapter of his life. They spent a week enjoying old friends, met with a few potential buyers before signing the contract to sell the docks. Their final night was spent in the Quarter indulging in depths of sin.
Meeks finally got all the girls on the train as Matthew and Jonathan loaded the horses in the cattle car. The sleeping salons were more comfortable than the last time they took the train to Colorado. Garnett and Dominic finally stepped into the front car and took off their jackets. They had several groups of politicians coming out for fly fishing and camping. The girls were so excited when the Denver depot came into sight. It took an hour to get everyone off the train and loaded into the buckboard. James decided to get supplies while they were in town and told Meeks he’d be a few hours. Dominic and Garnett headed to Dominic’s. Matthew decided to ride with James and Jonathan said he’d head to the lodge with Meeks.
Meeks pulled up in front of the lodge and unloaded all the trunks as Jonathan followed the girls into the nursery. He was opening a trunk when something caught his attention. Jonathan stood quietly and listened. He immediately checked the locks on the French doors leading to the nursery before he quietly checked the wardrobes and dark rooms.
Meeks climbed back up on the buckboard and headed for the barn as Mirisa lit all the lanterns and started a fire in the stove. When the door opened she turned. “Darling, can you…”
The fear crossed her face like a shadow as a chill ran down her spine. The two men slowly closed the door and as they walked into the room she could only hear the sound of their spurs over her own heartbeat. Mirisa was frozen in fear as her hand went to her stomach. She reached out to Jonathan telling him that he must get the girls out of the house. Jonathan took in everything that crossed her consciousness and went into the girls’ room and told them that there were strangers in the house and that they must quietly follow him. Cassie started to say something when Jonathan snatched her up from behind putting his hand over her mouth. Lizzie started to panic when Maggie took her hand and they opened the back doors to the porch. Jonathan had Maggie climb over the railing as he helped Sara and Lizzie to climb
down. Jonathan joined them holding Cassie. He adjusted to the dark before he led them under the porch where they frequently played during the hotter days.
“I need you to stay here until I come back.” They all nodded as Maggie made them sit together. Jonathan reached out for Matthew who was riding shotgun with James then he turned to his father. James stopped the buckboard on the side of the road and untied their horses. Jonathan headed toward the barn and climbed the large tree until he could reach the rope to pull himself into the upper loft. He heard the voices as he moved closer to the edge looking down into the large barn. The caretaker was laying in one of the stalls and they were dragging Meeks across the barn to tie him up against a post. A third man was laying in the hay moaning. The man went to check on the moaning man who appeared to be shot. That made four men.
“Would that be your husband that we killed down at the barn?”
Mirisa measured his facial expression as he sneered at her. She watched as one of the men went into the library bringing out a box of cigars and bottle of whisky. He put them on the counter as the door opened and another man stepped in saying something to the older man.
“Lenard keep your eye on this one. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Aww, Slappy can’t I just do her fast like. I ain’t had a fine little girl in a long time.” He stretched over the bar reaching for her hair when she stepped back. “And she is gonna be awfully challenging if you know what I mean.”
“I don’t care what you do to her as long as you don’t let her get away. I think someone will pay a lot of money for her no matter what shape she is in.” He stepped out the door as Lenard smiled.
“Since we are going to get to know each other very well maybe you should tell me your name.”
“Please leave my house.”
“Oh, she suggests I leave. Excuse my manners little lady for not saying please tell me your name.” He started to move around the bar as she backed away from him. “Is it Sally? No? Maybe it’s Maybelline. There used to be a real nice lady in Santa Fe named Maybelline but she must have weighted twice as much or maybe three times as much as you. I like my women to have a little fat on them so when I grab hold of them it is like breaking a horse.” Lenard suddenly tried to grab her as she crashed against the wall falling sideways as she tried to scramble to her feet. He lunged for her and she kicked him so hard that he let out of blood curdling scream and bent over falling to his knees. Mirisa pulled his gun out of his holster pointing it at him. He looked up at her as the waves of nausea racked his body.
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