Polka With Pauline

by Caroline Clemmons

  Pauline’s aunt remained in bed. The situation had given Mrs. Chambers a headache and upset her nerves.

  Creighton definitely understood troubled nerves and a pounding headache. In addition, he felt as if he was about to explode.

  Looked as if Henry had given up reading a book. Now he worked a jigsaw puzzle of the United States. “I’ve put this puzzle together a couple of times before now so it doesn’t take deep concentration.”

  Creighton played Solitaire while Pauline was busy with her aunt and with supper. At least the card game kept his hands busy and prevented him from fidgeting or pacing the floor.

  After supper, Creighton washed dishes while Pauline dried them.

  Henry picked up his book. “You’ll have to excuse me. I’m going to read in bed until I get sleepy. I don’t think that will be a long time. You wake me if I’m needed.”

  Pauline leaned forward and whispered in her uncle’s ear but Creighton heard her, “Do you need help to let Aunt Nancy use the chamber pot?”

  Henry patted her on the shoulder. “She told me how you aided her and we have a system worked out now. That commode chair we bought from Creighton is a wonder.”

  She kissed her uncle’s cheek. “Goodnight then. Call me if I can do anything for you or Aunt Nancy. Creighton and I will try to be quiet so we won’t bother you two.”

  The two of them played twenty-one for a couple of hours.

  Pauline kept score. “I owe you thirty-two dollars and thirteen cents. I’ll put it on my tab. You’ll be a rich man if we keep playing. ”

  “You know very well we aren’t playing for money. We never have.”

  She put the paper and pencil aside. “But, if we were that’s what I’d owe you.”

  “Good thing you didn’t assign money value for chessmen. I’d be in debt to you enough to buy a new buggy and a horse.”

  She laughed and he joined in.

  “Well, isn’t this a cozy scene?”

  Creighton and Pauline looked up.

  Barely inside the back door stood Jasper Taggart with a gun pressed to Dub Dennis’ neck.

  Dub’s face showed ghostly white against his russet beard. “Sorry, Reed. Caught me as I had my pants down in the outhouse.”

  “You there, Carpenter, get the Chambers in here. Try anything and I shoot Pauline between her pretty blue eyes.”

  Creighton held out both hands. “I’ll have to wake them and then Henry and I will have to get Mrs. Chambers into the wheelchair. Give us time.”

  “I’ll give you until I tire of waiting.”

  Creighton sped to the Chambers’ bedroom. “Henry, wake up.”

  Henry sputtered awake. “What’s wrong? Is he here?”

  Mrs. Chambers sat up with the cover pulled up under her arms. “It’s Jasper, isn’t it?”

  “Yes to both of you. He’s threatened to shoot Pauline if the three of us don’t hurry back in there. Henry, do you have a handgun?”

  Henry lifted his pillow and pulled out a revolver. “I got this out last night, oiled, and loaded it. You take it. I’ll get Nancy into her chair.” He rose and pulled on a robe and handed his wife hers.

  Creighton shoved the firearm into his back waistband. “When I say ‘now’, get her out of the way. Can I help here?”

  Henry helped his wife balance on one leg as she pulled on her robe. “Steady the chair so it won’t roll out from under her.”

  From the kitchen, Taggart called, “I’m getting tired of waiting.”

  Creighton yelled, “We’re on our way.” Quietly, he said to the Chambers, “I can’t tell you how angry I am at that man. I hope he winds up in prison for life.”

  Henry met his gaze. “And, I hope we live to see that happen.”

  Creighton walked ahead of the Chambers as they filed back into the kitchen. “Here we are, Taggart, or whoever you really are.”

  “My name doesn’t make any difference but I grew up as Jefferson Tanner. No one would have known I’m not Jasper Taggart if you hadn’t swayed Pauline’s attention away from me. We were going to be married and then her father would have had a sudden accident and I’d be in complete control of Brubaker’s.”

  “Papa!” she cried. “Jasper or Jefferson, even if I’d never met Creighton I would never have married you.”

  Creighton needed to keep the man talking until he could come up with a plan. He edged in front of Pauline. “You don’t think you could have made a murder look like an accident?”

  “Why not? It’s worked before. Look at how everyone thought that upstart Hank had an accident. I planned that carefully.”

  Mrs. Chambers sobbed. “Our lovely boy. Oh, no, this is too much.”

  Henry grew red in the face. “You killed my son after he’d been decent to you? I’d like to choke the life from you, you blackguard. Hanging is too good for you.”

  The villain laughed. “Quite the opposite, Henry. I’m too good to be hanged. You should realize that now. You think you had a bad heart? You fool, you let me give you coffee laced with poison each day at the office. Did you think I was being nice?”

  Henry was aghast. “You poisoned me to damage my heart? Is there nothing you won’t do to get what you want?”

  “Let me think about that.” Taggart pretended to think over the question then laughed. “No, nothing I can think of.”

  Creighton edged in front of Pauline. “We’re curious. How were you able to climb to the top of management so quickly when your references were forged? You must be smart to have managed that.”

  “I am smart, smarter than anyone in this room or at Brubaker’s. I watched carefully and learned on the job, so to speak.” He laughed again, sounding madder with each peal of laughter.

  “Where did you grow up and learn to adapt so well?”

  “I know what you’re doing, Reed, but it won’t help. You’re finished but I’ll tell you anyway. I was born outside Lincoln, Nebraska to sodbusters. I wasn’t about to be stuck in that place for life. I left as soon as I could and took my family’s harvest money with me.”

  In spite of his plan to shield her, Pauline edged alongside him. “You took your family’s money? How callous. Weren’t you worried about how they’d survive for a year?”

  Jasper wore a smile, but there was no humor in his dark eyes. “Awww, you see, the poor folks had a horrible accident. They all four died in a tragic fire while I was on the way to the bank. Everyone was so sympathetic to the poor orphan. Just in case, I left town before anyone became too curious.”

  Pauline gasped. “Your own parents and siblings? How could you?”

  “Easier than you think, but then you’re daddy’s darling, aren’t you?”

  Her blue eyes sparked with anger. “Even if I didn’t like my parents, I couldn’t kill them.”

  His smile fled to be replaced by a sneer. “Because you’re weak. You’re all weak. You don’t deserve your success because it was handed to you.”

  Creighton wanted to take his attention away from Pauline. “Not all of us. I’m an orphan and grew up in an orphanage. I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen. No one gave me anything.”

  “Ha. You’re hardly what I’d call a success. You don’t even have a workshop now, do you? My, I wonder how that fire started, Carpenter?”

  Creighton wished he could leap across the distance between them and grab Jasper. He would love to pound him unconscious. The urge was so strong he worried about his own sanity.

  Instead he said, “I know who tossed the kerosene bottle bombs. A man too cowardly to confront me in person was responsible.”

  “Yeah? Well, I’m here in person now.” Taggart pushed Dub further into the kitchen. “Henry, use the sash from your robe and tie your lovely niece’s hands. Dear Pauline, when he’s finished you come stand beside me. Mrs. Chambers, give your sash to Dub so he can tie up the wood worker.”

  Creighton figured he had to act now before he was tied or shot or both. As soon as Dub was far enough from Taggart to be out of the line of fire, Creighton
reached behind him for the revolver.

  As he drew he said, “Now!”

  When he did he felt a white-hot sting on his shoulder. He sensed another sting as something zinged past his ear. He cocked the gun, aimed carefully, and fired at Taggart.

  Taggart’s eyes widened in surprise. He looked down at the red spreading on his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as he crumpled to the floor.

  The shots brought Ted Ross rushing into the house with revolver drawn. Ted kicked away Taggart’s gun then knelt to check the carotid pulse.

  Pauline rushed to Creighton and he hugged her then untied her. She threw her arms around him. He felt strange, oddly disconnected from the room.

  To anchor himself he held her closely, grateful she and her aunt and uncle had escaped without harm. But, the sounds of the shots still echoed in his ears. The acrid smell of gunsmoke filled his nostrils.

  Ted rose and glanced at each person. “He’s dead. How the devil did he get in here?”

  Dub hung his head. “My fault. He caught me in the outhouse. I don’t know how I’ll ever live this down. If anyone besides him had died it’d be my fault.”

  Henry shook his head. “Now, don’t blame yourself, Dub. One way or another, this man would have found a way in here. I’m glad he didn’t kill you to get you out of the way.”

  “Creighton?” Pauline stared at blood on her hand. “Good heavens, Creighton, you’re injured. I didn’t know his shots hit you. Sit down. You’re bleeding from your head and your shoulder.”

  The room did wavy circles around him. His head felt odd and he plopped down more than sat in a chair. He looked down at his chest. “Dadgum, he ruined my new shirt.”

  Henry grabbed the sash he’d used to tie Pauline. “I’ll dress and go for Dr. JT.”

  Dub caught his arm. “No, sir, I feel responsible. I’ll go and then I’ll get the marshal and then go for Mr. Pratchett, the undertaker.” He left by the front door.

  Ted looked at the people who remained. “Why don’t you folks go into the parlor? KC will want your statements but you don’t have to endure the body’s presence while we wait.”

  Creighton let Pauline and Ted help him into the parlor. Maybe he couldn’t have made that far on his own. Ted brought a pan of water and a tea towel. Pauline bathed his scalp then ripped away at the shoulder of his shirt to apply pressure to that wound.

  She dabbed away blood. “One bullet plowed a three-inch furrow above your ear. It’s not deep but it’s bleeding a lot. The bad one is your shoulder—there’s no exit wound.”

  Mrs. Chambers sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. “Henry, go to my sewing room where I keep bandages. Bring some here.”

  Henry laid a hand on her shoulder. “Nancy my love, I think we’d better get Creighton to the bed in your sewing room. He needs to lie down so Dr. JT can work on him. Then he’ll need lots of rest.”

  Nancy reached up and patted his hand. “Of course, you’re right.”

  Ted nodded at Pauline. “Let’s get him up.”

  They were moving him when the doctor arrived. “Sounds as if you’ve had a terrible evening.”

  Creighton managed to mutter, “All over but the shouting.” At least he thought he said it aloud.

  Chapter Twelve

  Pauline was terrified because Creighton had lost so much blood. She and Ted Ross got him to the sewing room bed. She flipped back the covers with one hand before she let Creighton collapse on the mattress.

  When Creighton was stretched, out Dr. JT gently nudged her aside. “You clean up, Miss Brubaker. Head wounds look worse than they are. You’ll need to bring me a pan of hot water as soon as you can.”

  He leaned around the door frame and into the hall. “Henry, would you bring us another lamp?”

  Pauline hurried to the kitchen and shuddered at the body lying there. If she lived to be a hundred she’d never forget the sight of Jasper’s body lying in a pool of blood. Skirting the remains, she found the old tablecloth she’d used for her aunt and spread it over Jasper.

  The cards lying on the table from the game she and Creighton had enjoyed a lifetime ago mocked her. Being with Creighton had made her feel protected. He had wanted her safe.

  Her uncle came up to her. “Thought I’d better check on you when I heard you heading in here where the corpse is. I see you’ve covered him.”

  She shuddered. “I had to or leave. Besides, it’s only respectful even if he doesn’t deserve our respect. I’ll be all right, Uncle Henry. Take care of Aunt Nancy. You need to comfort one another.”

  As he left, he gave the corpse a hard kick. “Childish I know, but it made me feel better.”

  While the kettle heated, she scrubbed her hands and arms with soap and cold water. Until then she hadn’t realized she was crying. The enormity of Jasper’s treachery hit her and she almost collapsed. With her elbows braced on the edge of the sink, she rested her head on her arms and wept for her sweet cousin. Hank was a kind man and hard worker who deserved wonderful things. Her aunt and uncle deserved to see one son marry and have children.

  As soon as the kettle hissed she was able to pull herself together enough to function. She was hollow. So much had happened her mind couldn’t take in everything. She fought to make sense of the details whirling in her head.

  After she poured steaming water into a pan she set the kettle back on the range to keep warm. When she’d wiped her eyes she carried the pan to the doctor.

  “I’ll clean up and be back to help.”

  The marshal’s voice came from the parlor. She’d talk to him later. Creighton received priority.

  In her bedroom she shed her blood-stained dress and shift and donned fresh ones. She left the soiled clothes in a heap on the floor after making certain none of the stained portion touched the hardwood.

  Her poor aunt and uncle were devastated. How could they not be? Jasper’s confession must have resurrected the horror of Hank’s death so their grief seemed fresh. She couldn’t let them see her weeping like this. She had to be strong for them.

  Now she straightened her skirt and went to check on Creighton and assist the doctor if she could. Maybe she’d at least get to see Creighton. She needed to witness for herself that he was going to be all right.

  Dr. JT didn’t look up as she entered the room. “Miss Brubaker, go comfort your aunt and uncle. A big strong man doesn’t like for his intended to see him in a weakened state even if he is knocked out. I’ll be in later to give you instructions for his care.”

  Relief wrapped its arms around her. “He’s going to be all right then?” In spite of the doctor’s comment, she couldn’t help staring at the pan of red-stained water.

  The doctor sewed stitches in Creighton’s shoulder wound. “He is but he’s not going to be using his left arm to work on furniture for several weeks. Lucky the madman wasn’t good enough to aim an inch to the right or this man would be dead.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.” She really wanted to say if they’d been lucky Jasper would never have come here at all. Instead she went to the parlor.

  KC sat in the rocking chair but stood when she entered the room. “Thank you for coming in, Miss Brubaker.”

  “Don’t bother getting up. By now, Marshal, we know one another well enough that I think you’d better call me Pauline. Excuse me for just a minute.” She turned to her aunt. “Is there something I can do for you, Aunt Nancy?”

  Her aunt blew her nose then shook her head.

  Pauline turned back to KC. “Marshal, can my aunt and uncle go to bed? This has been an extremely difficult night for them.”

  He looked at her aunt and uncle. “Thank you for your explanation. You both go on to bed now. If I think of anything else, I’ll come around tomorrow.”

  Her aunt and uncle left the parlor and headed toward their bedroom. Pauline sat in the upholstered armchair her aunt had used until her fall.

  “Why don’t you tell me everything you remember about tonight?”

  She shrugged. “It
will take quite a while to repeat everything. You’ve probably heard the same things I could say anyway.”

  The marshal met her gaze. “Please tell me everything you remember. Don’t omit anything even if you think it’s unimportant. You may remember something the others failed to mention.”

  She launched into a detailed explanation starting with her and Creighton playing cards when Jasper and Dub came into the kitchen. Going through everything that had happened and that she’d heard Jasper confess took quite a while.

  “This is the first time I’ve heard his real name. I need to alert authorities in Nebraska. Early in the morning I’ll send your father word that you’re all right and this man is out of the picture.”

  “Thank you. I know he and my mother are worried. Plus my father is upset that he allowed Jasper to work for him.”

  “Apparently he was exceptionally good at adapting. From what I’ve heard, he was insane. Sad Creighton had to shoot him but I don’t think anyone will miss the man.”

  Pauline met the marshal’s gaze. “That’s the saddest epitaph anyone can have—He won’t be missed.”

  ***

  Pauline checked on Creighton frequently during what was left of the night. She brought a chair to sit beside his bed. He was restless and mumbled in his sleep. Dr. JT had said to watch for fever.

  At least once an hour she bathed Creighton’s face with cool water. Trips to the kitchen were not as onerous now that the body had been removed. Someone had used the tablecloth to mop up most of the blood from the floor.

  Pauline threw the cloth into a rubbish bin to be burned. Aunt Nancy and Uncle Henry didn’t need to see it and be reminded again of Hank’s death. Between trips to check on Creighton, she scrubbed the bloodstain from the floor.

  Anger fueled her cleaning. How dare a rat like Jasper cheat a wonderful man like Hank of his life? Cheat all of her family of Hank’s vitality and kindness?