An Agent for Laurel

by Lynn Donovan

  Just then, Laurel tsked her tongue. Ransom followed her line of sight to the man at the counter. It was one of the elitists who had been at the Chief’s meeting. Mr. G. Emery Wellington, if Ransom remembered correctly. “What seems to be the problem, Mr. Wellington?”

  Wellington turned with a start and dropped the little man to his feet. He quickly pocketed the object in his fist, and dashed toward the back of the store. Ransom instinctively ran after him, clasping his shoulder, and turning him around. The man flinched. His arms rose to protect his face, as if Ransom were about to sock him in the jaw. “I-don’t hurt me.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you.” Ransom noodled in the man’s coat pocket and withdrew the jade artifact. “What? How did you—you’re the Ghost Thief?”

  Laurel stood behind them, her arms crossed in front of her chest. “What are you doing here? You never sell your findings yourself.”

  Ransom turned to Laurel, keeping a firm grip on Wellington. “You know Mr. Wellington?”

  She ignored his question, staring intensely at the thief. “You did this on purpose. So you’d get caught.”

  Wellington threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Ransom, struggled to remove a set of handcuffs from his back waste band, “Mr. Wellington, you’re under arrest for robbing the Tabor Opera House and being in possession of a very expensive artifact that was planted so we could trap you. And you fell for it—

  Wellington peeked his brow toward Laurel as if silently saying something to her.

  Ransom stiffened. “Or did you?”

  He looked at Laurel, then back at Wellington. “You two know each other?

  Laurel sighed heavily. “Yes, Ransom.” She pressed her wrists together and held them in front of her face. “You should arrest me, too.”

  Confusion filled his face.

  “This is my father.” She frowned. “G. Emery Wellington and I are the Ghost Thief. Thieves, actually. I met him at the opera house last night and helped him steal the artifact.”

  “There’s never been a safe my daughter could not penetrate.”

  Laurel frowned at him and turned back to Ransom. “Last night, I begged Daddy to let me out of the family business. I opened the safe and gave him the artifact, so he’d leave me alone. This is his way of doing just that. But I can’t let him take all the blame.” She turned to Ransom, pulling his hands away from her father. “Ransom, darling. I love being a Pinkerton. And truth be told, I have fallen in love with you, too. But I can’t keep lying to you… about who I am. I came to the agency under a false name. Robinson is my mother’s maiden name. It was dear old dad’s idea. He made me apply. He wanted me to find out where Tabor had hid this artifact. But I saw it as an opportunity to free myself… from him.” She drew in a ragged breath. “Now he’s let himself get caught, so that I could have that freedom. But I love you too much to continue with the charade.”

  Ransom ran Wellington’s cuffs around a gas pipe line and locked the remaining wrist. He took Laurel by the shoulders.

  She winced, but stood stoic in his grip.

  “Laurel? Is that a fake name, too?”

  “No. Laurel is my given name.”

  “Laurel, I love you, too. And you are the best Pinkerton Detective I have ever worked with. I don’t care that you used an assumed name. You are married to me, and Archie made sure these marriages were legal. So-so you are Mrs. Ransom Williams now. My wife. And I want you to stay that way. If you promise me one thing.”

  “What.” Tears trailed down her cheeks.

  He held up the jade statue. “You’re thieving days are over. This is the last thing you ever steal.”

  She glared at the statue. “I swear. I don’t ever want to take another thing that isn’t rightfully mine. I hate what my father does. My momma hated it too. That’s why she left him. He wouldn’t let her go and take me with her. She had no choice, so she left me with him and got as far away as she could from this life of crime and sinful gain.”

  Ransom turned to Wellington. “You swear to me, you’ll leave Laurel and me alone. Let her be free?”

  “I do. My baby girl is the world to me, but I knew how miserable she’s been ever since she was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. And I can tell that you are a good man. You’ll take good care of my girl.”

  “Alright, then.” Ransom put the statue in his pocket. “I’ll make you a deal.”

  Wellington’s eyes flitted from Laurel to Ransom. “What’s that?”

  “You leave here—in fact, you leave the country. Go to Europe, or England. Anywhere but here. I’ll let you go for now, but how you get out of the states is up to you. I have no control over another agent finding you or arresting you.” He dug his fingers into his hair and swept it back from his forehead. “I’ll say you got away… from us. But I don’t ever want to hear one word of you returning to the United States again. You leave Laurel alone and I won’t arrest you here and now.”

  He cut his gaze to Laurel, then back to Ransom. A smile slowly crept across his mouth. He shoved his hand out to Ransom. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

  They shook hands, and Ransom unlocked the cuffs as he spoke, “Alright. Now, go.”

  Wellington turned with a flourish of his long dress coat and trotted out the back of the shop.

  Ransom turned to the little shop owner, who still cowered behind the counter. “You didn’t see any of this, you hear.”

  He nodded vigorously.

  “A street urchin came in here and sold this statue to you. We came in and found it.” Ransom reached in his breast pocket and took out his wallet. He pulled a bank note and tossed it on the counter. “That’s what we paid you for the statue. And that’s all you know about any of it.”

  The man bobbed his head affirmative.

  “Alright.” He pulled Laurel into his side. “Let’s go tell Chief Farley and Archie how this all happened. And that we never saw hide nor hair of the Ghost Thief.”

  “So… wait a minute.” Laurel dug in her heals and prevented Ransom from moving. “You really want to stay married… to me… after you know everything?”

  Ransom faced his wife. “Laurel, sweetheart, it takes a thief to catch a thief. The way I figure it, you and I are going to be the best partners in the Pinkerton business. How or why that is so, is nobody’s business but our own. As long are Archie Gordon is willing to sign our paychecks, I’m staying with the Agency and as long as you’ll have me, I’m staying married to you. For better or worse… will you remain my wife?”

  Another tear rolled down her cheek. “Oh Ransom Williams, I love you. I love being a Pinkerton agent. Yes, I will remain your wife… and your partner. Til death do us part.”

  She rose on her toes and he pulled her in close. His lips brushed against hers, and she pressed her lips into his. Their passion exploded and deepened the kiss until a throat cleared.

  They fell back from one another and looked around.

  The little shop owner stood with his hands on his hips. “Can you two take that somewhere more appropriate? And leave me alone?”

  Ransom laughed. “What do you say, Mrs. Williams? You want to go home and end any chance for an annulment?”

  She smiled sweetly. A pink hue filled her cheeks. “Yes. I want that very much.”

  “But.” He paused. “One of these days, you’ve gotta tell me how you opened that safe with three magnets.”

  She grinned and hooked her hand into the bend of his elbow. “A girl’s gotta have some secrets, Mr. Williams.”

  EPILOGUE

  Sunlight streamed into the small apartment as Laurel rolled over and kissed her sleeping husband’s neck. He turned with a moan and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her back to him. He kissed her lips sweetly and she pressed in for more. Entwining her body with his, she stayed in bed a little longer, expressing her love one more time before they started their day.

  “I’ll get water.” Ransom pull
ed on britches and shrugged on a shirt.

  “I’ll grind the coffee beans.” She fastened her dressing gown. A swift kiss before he walked out left her head spinning with joy. She filled the coffee grinder and prepared the mugs for his arrival. Stoking the fire in the oven and slicing slivers of salt pork into the cast iron pan, she hummed to herself as she cracked eggs into a bowl and tossed the shells in a compost bucket.

  Ransom busted into the apartment, soaking wet. His hair hung in his face and his shirt, nearly transparent, clung to his chest.

  “What happened?” Laurel held back her mirth. Had Father doused him with a pitcher of water again?

  “Mrs. Cravets.” He growled. “Mrs. Cravets happened to me.”

  Laurel handed him a towel. “How?”

  “Apparently, she had slipped out to get a bucket of water wearing her dressing gown, thinking no one would be in the hall. But when she saw me, she screamed and threw up her hands, which sent her bucket into the air, and—” he gestured to himself. “—all over me.”

  “Oh dear.” Laurel pulled him to a chair and retrieved another shirt from the dresser. “Here, change into this and go see about our mail while I make coffee and breakfast.”

  Ransom nodded. “Fine.”

  Laurel giggled after he closed the door behind him. She took the jar for water and went into the hall to get enough for coffee and washing up. Soon, the small apartment filled with the aroma of coffee, salt pork, and eggs. She had just lifted the coffee pot to fill her mug when Ransom staggered through the door, under the weight of several newspapers. “I’ve got the mail and no one threw water on me.”

  Laurel laughed. “Well, that’s good.” She sat two plates of food on the counter and stifled her giggle while he dropped the load on the table and poured himself a cup of coffee. Laurel walked over to the heap and pulled one from the top. She sat down and ran her eyes across the page. The paper crinkled as she opened the newspaper. Once she reached the last page, she tossed it aside. “Hmm. Nothing from Germany.”

  She rose to retrieve her plate and sat with it balanced in her lap, while she lifted another paper, holding it high over her food.

  Ransom sat beside her and lifted the French paper. Glancing over the front page, he flipped it open and scanned through to the end. “Nothing from France.”

  He followed her example and retrieved his plate, returning to place it in his lap while he perused the next paper. “Nothing from Italy.”

  “Nothing from Ireland.” She lifted the next newspaper. Ransom pulled the next one and sipped his coffee. They sat in silence for a while, only the rustling of the paper and crunching of salt pork could be heard. “Ah! Dad’s in England!”

  She shook the paper, to fold it over and laid it on the table. Ransom looked over to read the article upside down. “Mysterious Thief Strikes Again.”

  Laurel sipped her coffee as she read the article. “Yep. Says here, ‘The Specter Thief has stolen another valuable collection of rare jewels.’” She chuckled and rose to her feet, placing her plate on the cupboard. “I wonder which British museum they’ll end up in?”

  “Probably the Louvre.”

  Laurel snickered . “That’s in France, silly.”

  Taking a bright colored thumb tack, she looked at a world map pinned to the wall. She found the town and pushed the pin into the dot. She stood back to gaze at the zig-zag pattern made by the pins. “It’s good to know Dad’s enjoying his time in Europe.”

  Ransom pressed her back against him as he scooped her into his arms. “Yes. I suppose it is. More coffee?”

  “I’d love some.”

  He took the pile of unopened newspapers from the table and dropped them on a large stack by the door. “Archie’s expecting us at nine.”

  “Yes. I know. Can we finish breakfast first?”

  “Of course. A Pinkerton never sleeps…” Ransom grinned at her.

  “…Or skips a meal.” Laurel chuckled and took her plate, scooping more salt pork and eggs onto it and sat at the cleared table. “Any idea what our next case will be?”

  “None. But I’m sure it’ll be another case of thievery, since we’ve seemed to build such an excellent track record for cracking those open.”

  Laurel tilted her head. “It takes a thief, to catch a thief.”

  Ransom touched his coffee mug to hers and winked. “That it does, Mrs. Williams.”

  THE END

  About the Author:

  Lynn Donovan is an author, playwright, and director who spends her days chasing after her muses trying to get them to behave long enough to write their stories. The results are numerous novels, multi-author series, anthologies, dramatizations, and short stories.

  Lynn will be a co-host on a local AM radio show, KRLN 1400, called Write Time Radio beginning next spring 2019, where she and her co-host will be airing old-time-radio dramas, narrations and excerpts written by local writers, including herself.

  Lynn enjoys reading and writing all kinds of fiction, paranormal, speculative, contemporary romance, and time travel. But you never know what her muses will come up with for a story, so you could see a novel under any given genre. All that can be said is keep your eyes open, because these muses are not sitting still for long!

  Oops, there they go again…

  You can learn more about Lynn on her blog, follow her on Twitter @MLynnDonovan, Facebook at LynnDonovan, her Facebook Author page at LynnDonovanFGG and her website LynnDonovanAuthor.com.

  OTHER Publications by Lynn Donovan:

  The Wishing Well Curse (Spirit of Destiny, Book 1)

  Thorns of Betrayal (Spirit of Destiny, Book 2)

  Secret Voices (Spirit of Destiny, Book 3)

  Rocking Horse Shadows

  Christmas Grace, Signing Seeds

  Merry’s Christmas Eve

  Fertility Pirates (The Abraham Project, Book 1)

  Cloned Chaos (The Abraham Project, Book 2)

  Java Cupid Series:

  Java Break

  Java Footprint

  Java Dreams

  Java Masterpiece

  Phantom Horse Series:

  Phantom Origins (FREE)

  Phantom Mystery

  Phantom Lessons

  Phantom Rescue

  Phantom Chances

  Gunther City Mail Order Brides Series

  The Blacksmith's Daughter

  Dixie's Dachshund

  Lou Lou’s Christmas Wish

  Alice's Trebled Heart

  Martha's Grace

  Jane Anne’s Ghostly Gift

  Silverpines Series

  Join the Silverpines Readers Group on facebook to get up-to-date information about this series, interact with the authors, and more information that is just fun.

  Wanted: Gunsmith

  Wanted: Barkeep

  Wanted: Zoo Keeper

  Lantern in the Window

  Lantern of Patience by Lynn Donovan

  Lantern of Faith by Parker J. Cole

  Lantern of Grace by Lynn Donovan

  Lantern of Charity by Parker J. Cole

  Lantern of Hope by Lynn Donovan

  Lantern of Honor by Parker J. Cole

  Pinkerton Matchmaker Series

  This is a multi-author series of which I am only one: Check out my co-authors’ books in this series by clicking the link above.

  An Agent for Laurel by Lynn Donovan

  Hey! Thank you for purchasing and reading my book, An Agent for Laurel. I’d like to give you a parting gift to show my appreciation. If you will e-mail me at AuthorLynnDonovan@gmail.com. Put in the Subject Line: “Pinkerton Free Book.” I will send you an e-copy of a collection of short stories I wrote purely for your entertainment. I will happily send you this e-copy for FREE, if you ask. I will also add you to my NEWSLETTER list and you will receive up-to-date information on new releases before anyone else.

  This book will not be sold anywhere, at any time. I am keeping it exclusively for you, my readers, and only if you ask for it.

  Than
k you again, and God Bless.

  ~Lynn Donovan

  Hey reader, when you flip the page, Amazon is going to give you the opportunity to rate and review this book. How cool is that? If you take just a few minutes you could help someone else find their next favorite book.

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