An Agent for Annie

by Lynn Donovan

  Annie Kate’s body fit against his. They melded together like they were cut from the same cloth. Bruno wrapped his arms around her shoulders and enjoyed everything about her. The smell of her hair, her perfume, the feel of her soft smooth skin. He looked down at the nape of her neck, exposed because of her tightly twisted bun. He wanted to lean down and kiss the loose strands of curls that framed the bottom of her hair line. Kiss her sleeve away from her shoulder. He wanted to lift her in his arms and carry her to the bed, removing all possibilities for an annulment.

  But he couldn’t. He pushed her away and swallowed hard. “I need to show you how to shoot this gun and then I-I need to change. To-to get ready for dinner.”

  He staggered toward the wash bowl and considered dumping the whole thing over his head. He could not let his feelings for Annie Kate affect him like this. He’d never be able to concentrate and that was something he could not afford if he wanted to be The Unbeatable Man.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Annie Kate was thrilled to learn how to shoot her derringer. Bruno seemed pleased with her progressive training. He even let her practice throwing the new knife. He said his fellow agent Bronco, like the wild horse, taught him everything he knew about using a knife for a weapon.

  Perhaps she was a natural. Certainly, in her dreams, while growing up, she had been a sharp shooter. A laugh erupted from her throat with that thought. The little gun felt comfortable in her hand, as if she’d held it most of her life. When she hit the target eight out of ten times, she jumped up and down like Bonnie Stephens when her papa brought that new mare, sixteen hands tall, to school for her birthday. She smiled, remembering how jealous everyone felt, and yet how fun it had been to get their turn riding the huge horse. It was almost like a carnival ride.

  There was something in Bruno’s eyes that gave Annie pause. He nearly looked as though he were beaming. Was it pride for how well she took to shooting the little gun? Or something else? Something she herself was feeling toward him. He made ordinary things fun. He was sweet and caring. Could it be he was feeling these same things? Was that really possible?

  Bruno decided to dine with Grandma Hinkley in their room, even though Bruno had adamantly insisted on not having her in their room. Dining in was better than wasting time in the hotel restaurant where they could not speak freely, and Grandma Hinkley’s room was much smaller than Bruno and Annie’s. There was a lot to go over in order to get Grandma Hinkley ready for tomorrow.

  A knock on the door silenced their vibrant discussion about the case instantly. Annie Kate locked an uncertain gaze with Bruno before he rose to open it.

  He released his breath. “Ah, Bronco! Mr. Gordon send you?” Bruno stepped back. “Come in! You’re just who we need for this case. We didn’t realize your train was in.”

  Annie Kate waited anxiously to learn who this Bronco was. Was this the Bronco that Bruno had mentioned, who taught him so much about knives?

  The stranger stepped in with a huge grin across his face. “Yeah, that’s what Archie said, word for word. I was finishing up an assignment in San Francisco, and he sent me a wire to come here instead of Denver, and help you track down a guy.” He reached into his back pocket and handed Bruno a manila envelope. “Here’s a wire for you, too.”

  Bruno took the message and read it over quickly.

  “Good.” He looked back at Bronco. “Uh, that’s right. We are chasing down a potential murderess and you will be tracking a potential murderer. Our target is expected to be with yours. A bit of a sordid affair.”

  “Really?” Bronson glanced toward Annie Kate. “Oh, hello, ma’am.”

  “Oh,” Bruno stepped back further and turned toward Annie. “Bronson Wauneka, this is my partner, Annie Kate Hinkley. Annie Kate, this is a colleague of ours from the agency, Bronco, er Bronson Wauneka, the keenest tracker this side of the Mississippi. Heck he’s the best tracker on the other side of the Mississippi, too.” They laughed and shook hands that ended in a hard-hitting hug.

  Bronco spotted Grandma Hinkley. “And… who is this lovely woman?”

  Grandma Hinkley blushed. Annie Kate could never remember her blushing. “This is my Grandma, Katheryn Hinkley. She’s going to help us maneuver Liza Toffler into our trap.”

  Bruno frowned. “Yeah, I’ll explain.” He suddenly grinned. “Man! It’s good to see you. We were just about to have supper, can I order you a plate too so we can sit here and talk freely about the case.”

  “Sure, but I’ll go down and order my meal. I’m still on the company’s expense.” They laughed again.

  Annie Kate smiled nervously. This Bronco looked like a full-blood native. His black hair cascaded down past his shoulders. He wore a store-bought shirt, but he had torn the sleeves off, exposing his defined arms. A strip of leather was tied with a small feather and a turquoise stone just above the bulging muscle on his arm. And he wore a wedding ring. Was he married to a Pinkerton Agent, too? Where was she? Annie stepped up to him. “Where’s your wife?”

  Bronco stopped. “She’s gone back to Denver to report to Archie. Gordon told me he didn’t think this diversion would take more than a few days.”

  Annie Kate nodded. “I see. Well, I’m glad Mr. Gordon has that much confidence in us solving this case that quickly.

  Bronco exposed an uncertain smile. “Well, I’ll do what I can to help you speed it along.” He turned and disappeared down the stairs. The speed of his descent looked like he took two or three steps in a stride. Annie turned back to her husband. “So he’s a Pinkerton, too?”

  “Yep. One of our best.”

  Annie Kate nodded. “So when he gets back, we’ll devise our plan and teach Grandma what she needs to know.”

  Grandma sat up straighter. “I get the gist of my mission.” Her mouth quivered. She was enjoying using the lingo. “I accidentally run into this Liza Toffler, befriend her, and find a way to coax her into attending a session with the Mysterious Melinda, who is at the” —she glanced down at her notes she’d written on a small pad— “Temple of Mystery which you two will set up as part of the P. T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Hippodrome.” She chuckled. “This P.T. Barnum must be full of himself to have such a pompous name for a circus. But I guess that’s how he makes it more attractive to the public.”

  Annie placed her hand over Grandma Hinkley’s. “I’ve read that Mr. Barnum is a genius at making something ordinary seem extraordinary and that’s how he has become so successful. We are lucky Bruno knew the perfect way to infiltrate the side shows and get me in for this trickery. We believe our plan will convince Mrs. Toffler she has angered the spirits and must confess her wrong doings or be forever haunted by these vexed spirits. I’m going to try to convince her to reconcile with her true husband, too. Mysterious Melinda knows all…” Annie giggled. “I’m so glad you’re here, Grandma! This is going to be fun!”

  Bruno cleared his throat. Annie sobered. “I know, it’s dangerous and we have to be on our toes, at all times. But who says we can’t enjoy what we are doing at the same time.”

  Bruno rolled his eyes. A knock came at the door and he rose to answer it. Bronco Wauneka took long strides to enter and sat on one of the divans. He pulled out a leather-bound notebook, like Bruno carried, and licked the lead of the pencil. “Okay. So what are we up against?”

  Bruno sat on the divan next to Bronco with the dossier and went over the information provided by Mr. Gordon and the notes he and Annie Kate had made. By the time supper arrived, Grandma and Bronco both had a lot of notes and a plan to find Dominic Brautigan and his misguided lover, Mrs. Toffler. Then Grandma would befriend the woman, coax her into opening up about her situation, and guide her to the Temple of Mysteries. Annie Kate would take over from there and do her best to jangle the woman’s superstitions in order to derive a confession and hopefully persuade her to go back to her brother’s home and reconcile with her husband. When Grandma Hinkley stifled a yawn, Bronco stood. “Well, let’s call it a night and regroup for breakfa
st. I’ll get started early and be back in time to join you all for the meal.”

  Bruno stood, too. “Alright. Mrs. Hinkley, may I escort you to your room?”

  “Nonsense. If I’m going to be working with Mr. Bronco here, he can escort me to my room.” A twinkle of amusement sparkled in her eyes.

  “Grandma!” Annie gasped.

  Grandma Hinkley waved her off and took Bronco’s arm. He shrugged toward Bruno and walked the older woman toward the door. “I’d be happy to escort you, ma’am.”

  “Goodnight.” Grandma looked over her shoulder. “Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” She giggled as she and Bronco exited the room.

  Annie Kate turned to Bruno with a deep sigh. “She’ll be alright… won’t she?”

  “Well, it's too late to think she won’t.” Bruno shrugged, then as if he realized his words put fear in Annie’s heart, he smiled. “I’m sure, if she’s anything like you, she’ll be fine.”

  Annie nodded. “Good night.” She walked to the bedroom and handed him the blanket and pillow.

  “Good night.” He made his pallet on the floor and laid down while she got ready for bed.

  Annie hoped he could get a decent night’s rest. He needed it for tomorrow.

  She heard his heavy sigh. He dreaded tomorrow. She knew boxing was the last thing he wanted to do and she felt terrible that he was now in a situation where he had to return to it. Pursing her lips, she crawled under the covers. He was a good agent. There was very little he wouldn’t do for the case. Pride filled her heart. He was a good husband, and she loved him.

  She sat up straight, staring at the lump that was his body on the floor. She loved him! Did he love her? Was there any possibility he would want to stay married to her after the case was solved? She'd nearly slipped and told him before, but the way he responded, or didn't respond, left her uncertain.

  Slowly she laid back down and turned on her side, watching his chest rise and lower with his steady breathing. She sighed. Maybe she could discuss these feelings with him while they rode the train home.

  Home. Being with Bruno felt like home. No matter where they were. Yes, she definitely needed to have this discussion.

  

  A soft knock on the hotel room door sent Annie Kate and Bruno in a frenzy to hide the evidence that they were not an ordinary married couple. Bruno leapt from his pallet and flopped the whole thing over in half and rolled it quickly like a bedroll to go on the back of a saddle. Anne Kate pulled the covers back on the opposite side from where she had slept and shoved her fist into the pillow to make it look like Bruno had laid his head there all night. She shrugged on her dressing gown and pulled back her hair that had come loose from her braided plait. Bruno tossed on a clean shirt and buttoned it quickly. He was still tucking it into his pants when Annie Kate poised at the doorknob and looked at him for verification that he was ready to greet whomever was behind the door.

  He nodded. She turned the doorknob and pulled it back. “Grandma Hinkley! Come in.”

  “I hope I’m not too early. I was so excited, I couldn’t sleep.” She giggled and entered the suite. Bronco slipped up behind her from the hallway, startling Mrs. Hinkley and Annie Kate.

  “Oh. I didn’t hear you behind me.” Mrs. Hinkley looked the handsome man up and down. “Have you been out already?”

  Bruno closed the gap between himself and their guests with three strides. “Mrs. Hinkley, come on in. You too, Bronco. What have you found out?”

  “I found your man. He’s at the Golden Nugget Hotel and checked in with a Mrs. Dominic Brautigan. I thought you told me her name was Mrs. Toffler, and she was his lover?”

  “Well, that’s part of what we are trying to figure out. If he has poisoned his wife, and if Mrs. Toffler is with him now, or if he and Mrs. Toffler have committed bigamy by getting married. You see, Mrs. Toffler is still married to Captain Christopher Toffler.”

  Bronco nodded and took a folded notebook from his waistband. “Well, the first Mrs. Dominic Brautigan is deceased. She’s buried in a small cemetery outside of town and the woman who is registered with him is about five-foot-three, she has apple-blonde hair and a nervous disposition.” He looked up from his notebook.

  Bruno’s eyebrow lifted high on his forehead. “Good work, man. That’s the same description we have for our Mrs. Toffler.”

  Annie Kate glared at Bronco. “How’d you learn all that this morning?”

  Bronco pulled a knife from his pant leg and flipped it in the air, catching it by the handle. He cut his eyes over to Annie Kate and shifted a tooth pick in his mouth. “It’s what I do, ma’am.”

  Bruno smiled. “Let’s go have breakfast and let Bronco and Mrs. Hinkley go work their plan, and we’ll get you set up in the Temple of Mystery.

  Annie Kate nodded and took her grandma Hinkley’s arm. Together they walked down to the hotel restaurant.

  

  Soon they parted ways and Annie and Bruno took a taxi to the field where P. T. Barnum had set up his amazing shows. Bruno seemed to cringe as they rode past the large canvas announcing, “Try your luck and win $25! Are you man enough to beat THE UNBEATABLE MAN?

  It was a fair likeness of him in a boxer’s stance, one fist slightly higher than the other, a challenging scowl on his face. He fidgeted in the seat. Did the display embarrass him? “How’d they make that canvas already?”

  He sighed. “Oh, I stood for the artist yesterday. She was pretty quick about it.”

  Annie nodded. “And where is my Temple of Mystery?”

  Bruno knocked on the taxi wall, signaling the driver to stop. They crawled out and Bruno paid the man. “Your tent should be over there. Our purchases were supposed to be delivered this morning.”

  They walked to the pile of canvas and boxes. Bruno unwrapped the tent and began setting it up. She scurried to help. It was large, with a dividing canvas wall, creating the two-roomed temple. Once that was done, they turned to the other items purchased yesterday.

  Boxes and tarp-wrapped furniture had been placed beside the tent bundle. Annie pulled the tarps and Bruno lifted the furniture over his shoulder, carrying it into the tent. “Where do you want these?”

  “In the outer room I think.” She smiled at his brute strength. A sensation stirred in her midsection. She wanted to tell him what all she felt for him, but kept her feelings and thoughts to herself. “And the small table and two chairs in the inner room.” She lifted a box and carried it inside. Bruno brought all the large pieces in while Annie Kate opened the crates and arranged the fabric by pinning it to the canvas walls. She rolled out carpets to make a lush floor covering, then placed the candles and aromatic incense around, and spritzed perfume into the fabrics.

  From the support beams of the tent, she hung five swinging lamps, four at each corner and one from the middle. They were made of bronze and silver, each having an oriental flare. Looping the dark fabric through the same support beams, she covered the ceiling. Soon the interior of the tent had transformed into a believable, albeit cloying and dimly lit, Temple of Mystery.

  The outer room, with only a few chairs and small tables for lamps, was for waiting customers, and the inner room was furnished with a large mirror the size of a doorway, dark sheer fabrics draped about to make the walls look obscure. It allowed Annie different areas to slip out from behind the fabric and create the illusion that she suddenly appeared in the room. The mirror reflected the candlelight, the incense added to the eerie effect. “Now, to go get ready myself.”

  She took a wooden box with her and stepped behind the mirror where she had partitioned herself a dressing area. She made a solution to wash her skin, leaving it stained a dark olive color. Makeup and rouge along with a dark red lipstick she applied to her face. She lined her eyes with black charcoal twigs and swiped purple powder over her eyelids. Unpinning her hair, she let it fall down over her shoulders to her waist and then pinned a dark purple and green scarf over it, like a veil, partially covering her eyes.

 
When she stepped out, Bruno looked startled. “My Goodness. I think even I’d believe you are a Sybil from the Orient.”

  “This is no different than playing make-believe back home.” She giggled. “Let’s just hope Mrs. Toffler believes it.”

  “I don’t see how she can’t fall for this. You look as authentic as … the real thing.” He turned as if he heard his name called. “I’ve gotta go. You’ll be alright?”

  “I’m fine. Go. Our fliers state that Mysterious Melinda is available until one o’clock. I’ll change and come find you after that.”

  “Alright. Good luck!” He squeezed her hand, reluctant to walk out.

  “I’m fine. Go.”

  “If anything goes wrong, I’m just two tents away. You can scream—”

  “Bruno! I’m fine.”

  He looked her up and down. “You’re more than fine. This is an amazing disguise. Kate Warne would be very proud of you.”

  She swallowed hard. “Why, thank you. Now go!”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Bronco and Katheryn took a different taxi to the Golden Nugget Hotel. Bronco helped Katheryn out two blocks before the target location. She would walk into the hotel where he’d be poised somewhere, ready to follow Dominic Brautigan, yet he’d make sure Katheryn knew who Mrs. Toffler was before he took off.

  As luck had it, the two targeted people descended the stairs together, kissed in the lobby, and parted. Mr. Brautigan exiting the hotel and Mrs. Toffler approaching the concierge desk. “Do I have any mail, please?”

  Katheryn stood behind her at a reasonable distance as if waiting her turn.

  The concierge handed Toffler a letter. She gave him a coin and thanked him, then stepped aside to open the envelope.