by Jen Turano
Miss Dixon released a sigh. “How romantic.”
“Or annoying.” Beatrix shook her head. “I’m sure management will be most displeased if they realize Pinkertons are in the store because of me, but—”
“Is there a Miss Waterbury in here?” someone called from the doorway.
Beatrix raised her hand. “I’m over here.”
The man in the doorway sent her a curt nod. “Mr. Bailer wants to see you in his office.”
Finishing the last bite of her sandwich as she rose to her feet, Beatrix headed out of the room, sending Miss Dixon a reassuring smile when that woman sent her a look filled with alarm. Taking the stairs to Mr. Bailer’s floor, she hurried down the hallway and arrived at Mr. Bailer’s office, his secretary hustling her straight inside a moment later. As soon as she slid into the chair that sat directly across from Mr. Bailer’s desk, Beatrix soon found herself pinned under Mr. Bailer’s gaze—and a nervous gaze at that.
“Miss Waterbury,” he began, tugging on his collar, “I’m sure you know why you’ve been summoned.”
“Someone’s mentioned the Pinkerton men who keep coming to check on me?”
Mr. Bailer gave another tug of his collar. “Pinkerton men are keeping tabs on you here at the store?”
“No, they’re checking on my welfare, which is not the same as keeping tabs on me. That would imply that I’ve done something wrong.”
“Word has reached my ears that you have done something wrong because you apparently shot a man.”
“Purely in self-defense, and in the defense of a friend of mine.”
Mr. Bailer abandoned his collar and took to drumming his fingers on the desk. “We’ve had complaints about that very incident.”
“From whom?”
“From a customer who witnessed whatever chaos you managed to become involved in last week. This customer came to see me just this morning, her visit delayed because of a nasty cold she’s been suffering, but she personally witnessed you being questioned by the police last week. She recognized you as being a woman she’d seen working in the coat check, so she felt compelled to report your unacceptable behavior to me once she felt well enough to leave her house.” He caught Beatrix’s eye. “You must understand that we at Marshall Field & Company cannot retain an employee who has allowed herself to become involved in something so, well, tawdry.”
Beatrix stiffened. “I wasn’t involved in anything tawdry. I was the victim of a crime.”
“You should have left the thieves to the discretion of men. Men, my dear, are equipped to handle such unpleasantness, while women, on the other hand, are not.”
“I’m not certain how you expect me to respond to that.”
“There’s no response for you to make. With that out of the way, I must now inform you that I have no choice but to terminate your employment with Marshall Field & Company, effective immediately.”
Temper began crawling through her veins. “Aren’t you concerned that Miss Huttleston will be very upset with you for terminating me?”
“I do find that notion concerning, but since I’m fairly certain I’ll be dismissed if I don’t dismiss you, I’m willing to brave Miss Huttleston’s wrath even if I’m not looking forward to that.”
“But I wasn’t even working when I had my interlude with criminals.”
“You obviously neglected to memorize that handbook I gave you because there’s a full page in it regarding how an employee can be terminated if they damage their reputation, and thus the reputation of this fine establishment. I assure you, shooting a man certainly damages your reputation as well as ours.” He gestured to the door. “I believe that’ll be all, Miss Waterbury. Good day.”
Beatrix felt heat climb up her neck and settle on her face as she rose to her feet. “That’s it? You’re not going to allow me an opportunity to explain the circumstances behind the shooting?”
“I’ve heard all I need to hear about the matter, and with that said, good day again, Miss Waterbury.” Mr. Bailer pushed a button on his desk, which had his secretary walking through the door a blink of an eye later. She moved to Beatrix’s side, took her by the arm, and the next thing Beatrix knew, she was standing on the street outside Marshall Field & Company, jobless.
Knowing there was nothing left to do but return to her aunt’s house, she stomped down the street, trying her best to get her temper in check but not having much success with that.
Her dismissal was outrageous, and the very idea she had no available recourse set her teeth on edge.
Stomping all the way to the train station, she headed for the ticket counter, stopping in her tracks when Blanche and Mamie, both wearing turbans of vivid pink, rushed past her. Mamie spun around a second later, calling out to Blanche, who stopped and turned as well.
“Beatrix,” Mamie exclaimed. “Thank goodness. We were just on our way back to the house, but time is short and perhaps you can help us.”
Beatrix frowned. “Help you with what?”
Blanche swiped a hand over a forehead that was drenched in perspiration. “Colette’s been arrested.”
Of all the women who lived under Aunt Gladys’s roof, Colette Balley, a shy and retiring woman who’d come to live with Gladys after experiencing a troubling incident with a manager at the slaughterhouse where she’d been working, was the last woman Beatrix would have expected to get arrested.
“What happened?” she demanded.
Mamie shook her head. “Colette, if you’ll recall, missed our dinner last week, having gone to assist her sister with a sick child. She’s not returned since, which is why Blanche and I decided to check on her today. When we arrived at Colette’s sister’s house, we were informed by Colette’s brother-in-law, an unpleasant man who drinks too much, that Colette and his wife had been arrested, and they’re still in jail because he refused to pay their bail.”
Beatrix frowned. “But why were they arrested, and why, pray tell, wouldn’t Colette’s brother-in-law post bail?”
Blanche blew out a breath. “Colette’s brother-in-law was stingy with details, but from what I could gather, their arrest was apparently a result of a protest at the slaughterhouse where Colette used to work and where her sister still does. As for why he wouldn’t post bail, I have to imagine he’s one of those men who doesn’t support women protesting anything and has decided his wife can rot in jail for all he cares.”
“Do you know what jail Colette’s in?”
“She’s been taken to the House of Correction located on the far southwest side of the city.”
Beatrix nodded to Blanche. “I’ll go there immediately, but you should go and fetch Aunt Gladys because I might need help.” She nodded to Mamie. “You’ll come with me?”
Mamie returned the nod. “Don’t know what we’ll be able to do, unless you have money for bail.”
“I have money” was all Beatrix said to that, and after watching Blanche head off for the train, she and Mamie hurried to a line of hansom cabs for rent, climbing into the first one she reached and telling the driver to take them to the House of Correction.
The ride through the streets of Chicago was done mostly in silence, Beatrix taking the time to gather her thoughts and brace herself for dealing with men of authority, who were often quick to dismiss any concerns voiced by women, something she’d experienced during the two times she’d been arrested.
Luckily for her, though, she had a father who hadn’t hesitated to bail her out of jail, but she could only imagine how helpless the women currently behind bars were feeling, what with their lack of access to funds that would secure their freedom and marriage to men who didn’t approve of their actions and were refusing to pay the bondsman what Beatrix knew, from prior experience, were minimal fines.
Climbing from the cab once they reached the House of Correction, Beatrix wasn’t surprised when the driver refused to wait until she was finished inside, even though she’d offered him a substantial amount if he’d agree to wait.
“What’s wrong with m
en these days?” Mamie muttered, shaking her head as the hansom cab trundled away. “First we learn that Colette’s brother-in-law didn’t bother to get his wife and Colette out of jail, then that driver leaves the two of us here in a most dangerous part of town, and that was after I fluttered my lashes at him and . . .” Mamie stopped talking, her eyes widened, and then she was smiling broadly and batting her lashes like mad right as Agent Cochran, the Pinkerton man Norman felt was best suited to watch over Beatrix, jumped out of a hansom cab and began striding their way.
“Care to explain what you’re doing here, Miss Waterbury? Or why you didn’t bother to wait for me or another Pinkerton to accompany you here? Or better yet, why you left Marshall Field & Company early?” Agent Cochran demanded. “I’m fortunate I caught sight of you leaving the store, although I have no understanding why you abruptly left the train station and came here, a circumstance that had me scrambling to catch up with you.”
Beatrix winced. “Would you believe I completely forgot I was supposed to apprise you of any changes to my schedule, that forgetfulness brought on, no doubt, by my unexpected dismissal from my position earlier?”
Agent Cochran blinked. “You were dismissed?”
“It appears Marshall Field & Company has a policy regarding their employees shooting anyone.”
Agent Cochran narrowed his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. You only shot that man because he was threatening you.” He cracked his knuckles. “Want me to have a talk with whoever dismissed you?”
As Beatrix shook her head, Mamie batted her lashes at a furious rate. “What a delightful man you are, Agent Cochran, and here I was just complaining about men and their lack of chivalrous behavior, but then you show up and . . . well . . .” Mamie smiled and took hold of Agent Cochran’s arm, earning a rather surprised look from him in return, although he didn’t shrug from Mamie’s hold. “I hope you’ll accompany us into the jail because we may very well need your assistance getting Colette released.” She shook her head. “Poor Colette is a most anxious type, preferring to spend her time knitting and talking to Gladys’s cats. I can’t imagine the terror she must be feeling over finding herself locked away in jail.”
Agent Cochran tilted his head. “How did a knitting cat lover manage to get arrested in the first place?”
Beatrix shrugged. “There was limited information available as to how it happened, but I’m hoping we’ll be better informed soon.”
Moving into a large waiting area, Beatrix paused as she looked around, setting her sights on an officer who was stationed behind a desk that had a long line in front of it. After they waited for over thirty minutes, it was finally their turn.
“We’re here to secure the release of Miss Colette Balley,” she told the officer, who had a nameplate stating he was Officer Greenwood. Beatrix felt irritation flowing freely when Officer Greenwood barely glanced at her before he settled his attention on Agent Cochran.
“What’s Colette Balley in for?” he asked Agent Cochran.
“I have no idea,” Agent Cochran said, withdrawing his Pinkerton badge from his pocket and handing it to the officer, who sat up a little straighter in his chair after he caught sight of it.
“She was obviously arrested for no good reason,” Mamie said, immediately bristling when the officer let out a grunt and sent her a roll of his eyes.
“Not like I haven’t heard that before,” he muttered as he began running his finger down a very long column of names. He stopped halfway down the page. “Here she is.” He lifted his head. “She was arrested for causing a disturbance at the Owen Slaughterhouse last week. Her bail has been set at ten dollars.”
“Ten dollars?” Mamie all but shrieked. “How’s a poor, single woman supposed to post a bail like that?”
“She should have thought about that before she caused a disturbance.”
Beatrix lifted her chin. “I’ll pay it as well as the bail for her sister.”
“And the sister’s name would be?” Officer Greenwood asked.
“No idea.” Beatrix turned to Mamie. “Do you know?”
Mamie frowned. “I think Blanche called that man Mr. Brightman, or maybe it was Bingham, or . . . well, it could’ve been any name starting with a B.”
Beatrix returned her attention to Officer Greenwood. “It appears I’ll need to get the name from Colette, so if you’ll kindly have someone escort me to her cell, I’ll get that information and then you can make arrangements to have Colette and her sister set free.”
Officer Greenwood frowned. “If this sister was arrested for the same disturbance, her bail will also be ten dollars. You have that much money on you?”
Beatrix gave a jerk of her head right as Agent Cochran stepped closer to her and lowered her voice.
“Need I remind you, Miss Waterbury, that you just lost your position? Twenty dollars is a lot of money, and I’m not certain it’s wise for you to spend your funds on bail when you’re currently jobless.”
Beatrix waved that aside. “While I thank you for your concern, Agent Cochran, there’s no need for you to worry about me.” She nodded to Officer Greenwood. “I’m capable of paying the bail, so you may call for someone to take me to Colette so we can get her and her sister out of here with all due haste.”
For a moment, she thought Officer Greenwood was going to refuse. But then he slid a glance to Agent Cochran, who in all honesty was a rather intimidating man, being at least six feet tall and sporting wide shoulders, and gestured for another officer to join him. That man, an Officer Kelly, after getting instructions from Officer Greenwood, motioned for Beatrix to follow him. With Agent Cochran on one side of her and Mamie on the other, Beatrix moved through the main room and down a long hallway, forced to stop when Officer Kelly drew out a set of keys to open the first of many locked doors that led to where the women were held.
Having been arrested and secured behind bars before, and twice at that, Beatrix knew what to expect—despair, weeping, taunts from inmates behind bars, and an atmosphere that seemed to suck the soul right out of a person.
Passing by three cells filled with gaunt-looking women, Beatrix soon found herself standing in front of a cell that had two women huddled up together on a cot, one of those women being Colette.
Mamie rushed past Beatrix and stuck her hand through the bars, ignoring a protesting Officer Kelly in the process.
“We’re here to get you out, Colette,” Mamie said, which had Colette lifting her head, blinking a few times, then jumping to her feet and dashing to the bars, taking hold of Mamie’s hand and looking quite as if she was never going to let go.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” Colette said, her voice trembling and tears in her eyes. “I asked to have a note sent around to Gladys a few days ago but was told that since my brother-in-law had been informed of my arrest, then my note wasn’t going to be delivered.”
Beatrix rounded on Officer Kelly. “That sounds like a clear violation of Colette’s rights.”
“We don’t cater to criminals here, but we would have gotten around to sending her note out at some point, if she was still here in a month.”
“That’s . . . outrageous,” Beatrix sputtered, taking a step toward Officer Kelly but stopping when Agent Cochran took hold of her arm.
“You won’t do Colette any good if you get yourself arrested,” he said quietly. “Perhaps you should allow me to take it from here?”
Knowing Agent Cochran was right, and knowing she’d be of no use to anyone if she let her temper get the best of her, Beatrix gave a slight nod.
Agent Cochran stepped closer to Colette, securing the name of her sister, Ada Bingley, which he immediately gave to Officer Kelly. He then nodded to Beatrix. “I think we need that bail money now.”
Colette peered at Beatrix through the bars. “You’re getting me and my sister out?”
“Of course,” Beatrix said, distracted a second later by the sight of four officers moving into a nearby cell, one of them pushing a cart that held large brown jugs on
it and some manner of tubing that was hanging off the side.
“Why do I get the feeling something horrible is about to happen?” she asked to no one in particular.
“They’re here to try to force Ada’s co-workers from the slaughterhouse to eat,” Colette whispered, her hands tightening around the bars, her sister joining her at the bars a second later. “They stopped taking meals after their husbands refused to post their bail. They wanted me and Ada to stop eating as well, but Ada’s got children who depend on her, so she wouldn’t risk her health. We got placed in another cell after we decided to eat, but the warden has been threatening to make the women eat, and he must have decided today’s the day.”
Beatrix squared her shoulders. “That’s barbaric.” With that, she strode forward, slipping past Agent Cochran when he tried to snag hold of her arm. “I’ll be fine,” she said, which earned her a scowl from Agent Cochran as he fell into step beside her.
“Mr. Nesbit’s not going to be pleased with either of us if we get arrested,” Agent Cochran muttered right as Beatrix stepped in front of the four men, blocking their way.
“Officers,” she began, “a moment of your time, if you please.”
All four of the officers scowled at her, impatience oozing from their every pore.
“Step aside, ma’am,” one of the officers said. “You’re interrupting official business.”
Beatrix lifted her chin. “Too right I am, although if what I’ve learned is true, and that you’re about to force women to break their hunger strike, I’m interrupting a torture session, not official business.”
One of the officers scratched his nose and shrugged. “We don’t have any other choice in the matter. Can’t very well let those women die. Wouldn’t look good on the department, would it?”
“There is another choice,” Beatrix returned. “You could release them.”
“They can’t post bail,” another officer said. “Their husbands are refusing to do that, and if we were to let them loose without paying, it would send a bad message to other women looking to break the law.”
