Deborah Camp (10 page)

Inez Rainwater opened the front door of the Bishop’s home and stepped back to let Zach enter the foyer.

“It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Rainwater,” Zach said.

The woman blushed. “You can call me Inez, Mr. Warner.”

Zach smiled. “That hardly seems fair, seeing as you won’t call me Zach. He handed her his hat. “It’s started to blow up a rainstorm out there. Am I the last guest to arrive?”

“I believe so, sir.”

“Who is it, Inez?” the judge emerged from the parlor and grinned broadly when he saw Zach. “It’s about time, Warner! We were about to give up on you and sit down for dinner.”

“Sorry, Judge. I had a late meeting at the office.” He shook the man’s hand.

“Glad to see you. Come on. Some fishing buddies and I caught a boatload of catfish in Cottonwood Creek and the cook has fried them up.”

“I’m your man,” Zach said, allowing the judge to guide him toward the parlor where the others had convened. He knew everyone there – a couple of other attorneys and their wives, a school teacher, a Baptist preacher, and Theodore Wilson, the banker who had built this house for his now departed wife.

Zach was seated between Agnes Kendall, the school teacher, and Theo Wilson at dinner. The catfish was delicious and was served with the traditional fried potatoes, slaw, chow-chow, and hush puppies. At either end of the long dining table, the Bishops held court. Judge Bishop kept the conversation lively with salty stories of courtroom dramas and comedic outcomes and Luna smiled serenely throughout. She conducted the maid and butler with flicks of her fingers and nods of her head. A couple of times Zach felt her gaze on him, but he gave all of his attention to Agnes, Theo, and Judge Bishop.

Near the end of the dinner, the conversation dwindled and Luna cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I want to know who Zachary Warner is squiring around town these days,” she said, her gaze sliding to him. “I haven’t seen you with any particular lady lately and that’s not like you. I expected you to bring along a town lovely tonight. Are you hiding someone from us, Zach?”

“You know better than that, Luna,” he said, smiling as he glanced around the table at the others. “I am not one to hide a beautiful woman. I didn’t know if the invitation included a lady friend.”

“And you know better than
that,
” Luna said, a slight chill in her tone. “We would never deprive you of feminine company.”

Zach sent her a cool smile. “As it turned out, you didn’t. I have enjoyed the company this evening of Mrs. Agnes.” He stood and helped the widowed school teacher from the chair. She giggled like a girl and pink stained her cheeks. She was in her forties, a small, birdlike woman who wore her brown hair in a tight knot at the top of her head. But she could quote Shakespeare, Longfellow, and Browning as effortlessly as the Baptist preacher could spout Bible verses.

“Let’s go into the music room,” Luna said. “I believe that Diana has agreed to entertain us with her piano playing this evening.” She dipped her head toward one of the attorney’s wives.

Zach thought he would rather have a tooth extracted than listen to a piano concert. For a few desperate seconds, he was tempted to say that he was feeling ill and had to leave, but he tamped down the impulse and went with the others to the music room.

A baby grand piano and a harp commanded the space. A guitar and banjo leaned against the wall of the oval-shaped room. Chairs had been set around the piano and Zach guided Agnes Kendall to one. He sat next to her and Theodore Wilson was about to sit on his other side when Luna swept into view.

“Theo, would you mind if I sit here? It gives me a good view of the piano keyboard and I so love to watch as people play.”

“I don’t mind a bit,” Theo said, motioning her to the chair beside Zach. “Judge, you sit beside your lovely wife and I will take this end seat.”

Luna fluffed the skirt of her amethyst dress and then laid a hand on Zach’s sleeve. “Have you spoken to that client of yours, Zach?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper. “I do hope so. I don’t want any more trouble from her.”

He patted her hand before removing it from his arm and shifting slightly away from her. “I handled it. Let’s enjoy the music.” He didn’t have to look at her to know that she wasn’t pleased, but he pretended to be oblivious, giving her no chance to talk to him as he chatted with Agnes and tried to act as if he were absorbed in the sonatas.

Time crawled. Just when he thought the punishment was over, Diana launched into yet another selection. He desperately wished he was at the Blue Belle listening to Claire belt out another Irish drinking song. Finally, after what seemed to be hours but was actually about half an hour, Diana’s husband stood and applauded loudly.

“Well done, darling, but you have to take your final bow because your aunt will be expecting us soon,” he said, then glanced around at the others. “She is watching our two children this evening and I’m sure she is ready for us to return home.”

Zach stood, almost toppling over the chair in his haste, and joined in the applause. He told himself he would never be railroaded into attending a dinner party with the Bishops again. It was about as pleasurable as cleaning saloon spittoons.

He exchanged pleasantries with the guests as they all moved to the foyer and toward the front door. Within feet of making his escape, a hand clamped around his bicep and he didn’t have to look to know who it belonged to.

“Hold on there, handsome,” Luna said, sotto voce. “I have a bone to pick with you.”

Zach turned toward her. Her dark eyes glinted and she batted her lashes at him. “If this is about Mrs. Hastings …”

“I hope you told her that the next time my name comes out of her mouth it had better be sugar-coated or my husband will take offense and sue her for slander.”

“You can understand why she might be upset.”

“With her former husband, yes. But with me?” She spread the fingers of her other hand across her partially exposed breasts and the jewels sparkling in her necklace. “I haven’t done anything to her.”

“Except refuse to be cordial to her.”

“She’s trying to steal something of mine. Why would you expect me to be cordial to a thief?”

He shook his head, tired of her game. “Thank you for an interesting evening, Luna.”

“Another thing,” she said, tightening her grip on his arm. “What were you doing snooping around my land?”

“Let’s get this straight.” He patted her fingers and then pushed her hand down and off his sleeve in a gesture similar to wiping off a clinging insect. From the narrowing of her eyes, he knew she didn’t like it, but he was nearly at the end of his rope with her. “I wasn’t snooping. I rode up the road and straight down the path to the house. I am representing Jennie Hastings, so I wanted to see the property in question. Did your
cousin
tell you about my visit?”

“He wasn’t happy about you trespassing.”

Inez Rainwater was moving from guest to guest and she approached him now and handed him his hat. He paused to acknowledge her before turning back to Luna. “I don’t care whether he’s happy or not. There’s something familiar about your cousin. He looks like someone who was just let out of jail or prison.”

“He is doing me a big favor staying out there until I can hire a ranch manager.” Her smile was icy and the glitter in her eyes was now cold. All flirtation had fled from her features. “You’ve seen the place now, Zach, so there’s no reason for you to trespass on my property again. Same goes for your client.” She looked past him and her smile warmed. “Honey, I was just saying goodbye to Zachary.”

Zach turned to face the judge. He shook the man’s hand. “Good evening, Judge.”

“I was telling Zach that he should stay off my land from now on because I would hate it if he got hurt out there.”

“Hurt?” Zach turned to look at her. “Just how would I get hurt?”

“We heard that someone might be trying to steal cattle off the land. It’s got Mel’s trigger finger itching. It would be tragic if he plugged you, thinking you were a cattle rustling coward.”

“I hadn’t heard about anybody trying to steal cattle,” the judge said, his brow furrowing.

“I didn’t want to bother you about it, sweetheart.” Luna sidled up to the judge and slipped her arms around one of his. Her gaze moved languidly to Zach and she smiled with a touch of malice. “You watch yourself, Zach, you hear?”

He held her gaze for a few seconds in a tense standoff. Her implied threat riled him, but he didn’t want her to get any inkling of it. “Don’t worry. If anyone gets shot – it won’t be me.”

Fitting his hat onto his head, he strode across the foyer and out into the blustering night air, feeling like a man set free from a ball and chain.

Chapter 8

Adam looked up from a stack of papers when Zach entered the office. “Well, well! There’s the birthday boy.”

Zach grinned. “In the flesh.”

“How old are you now? Forty?”

“I’m splitting my sides laughing,” he returned with narrowed eyes. “I’m thirty and you know it. That’s old enough!”

“We expect you to come for supper this evening. Bertha’s baked you a cake. A chocolate cake.”

Zach patted his flat stomach. “I’ll be there.”

“Where have you been? I have hardly seen you except in the courthouse hallways the past few days.”

“I’ve been running down hunches.” Zach removed his Stetson and ran a hand through his hair. “But I’m making some progress.”

“Which case?”

“Jennie Hastings.”

“Oh?” Adam sat back and pushed aside the papers he’d been studying. “You talked to Luna again?”

Zach made a cutting motion with his hand. “I’m done with Luna.”

Adam’s brows bounced up and down. “I heard that she wanted a meeting with Jennie and I was encouraged by that.”

Zach shook his head. “Jennie bad-mouthed Luna in public and Luna and Judge Bishop just wanted to meet with her, tell her off, and threaten to sue her if she didn’t leave town pronto. I stopped that before it could happen.”

“I’m surprised that Jennie would be popping off in public. She doesn’t seem the type to me.”

“She thought she was being clever by setting a trap that Luna would fall into.”

“Ah.” Adam shook is head slowly. “She underestimates Luna.”

“Right. And that spells trouble. I can’t seem to make her understand that she has never met a woman like Luna before and that she can’t think she can manipulate her.”

“But you’ve uncovered something that will help her case?

“I’m not at that point yet, but I did find out something interesting. I smelled a prison rat when I got downwind of her cousin Mel, so I sent a couple of telegrams and found out I was right. Mel was released from prison a few months ago. Guess what he was sent there for.”

“Bank robbery?”

“No.” He couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “Cattle rustling”

Adam barked a laugh. “That figures. Luna hires a cattle rustler to watch over her ranch.”

“Right. She tells the fox to watch the hens.”

“Did you find any proof of them being cousins?”

“No. They’re probably kissing cousins seeing as how shortly before he was sent to prison in Illinois, he and Luna lived in the same town.”

“You have been busy.” Adam shrugged. “But I don’t’ see that you’re any closer to procuring that land for Jennie.”

Zach slumped into a chair. “I’m not, but I’m more determined than I was to make sure everything is on the up and up. Luna is hiding something. She’s too defensive and secretive about her marriage to Charles Hastings.”

“Maybe she’s simply embarrassed because he left her and she doesn’t want to revisit it because she is happily married now.”

Zach made a rueful face. “I don’t buy that for one second and neither do you. First, he isn’t the only man who left her high and dry and second, she isn’t that happily married.”

“Oh ho!” Adam’s eyes twinkled behind his glasses. “And how do you know this?”

“Because she can’t keep her hands off me, that’s how.”

The mirth died from Adam’s face like a smothered flame. “You haven’t crossed the line with her too, have you?”

“No …and what do you mean with her
too
?”

“You asked Jennie out for the evening.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Zachary, let’s not chase each other’s tail.” Adam’s tone was gently chiding. “You might not have meant to ask her out socially, but you did. Hopefully, you covered over your mistake well enough for her to believe that the evening was meant for us to discuss her case, but we both know that was not your original intention.”

“I didn’t have any intentions.” Zach pushed his fingers through his hair, uncomfortable with the turn of conversation. “Back to Luna … she warned me to stay off her land, too, or else Parks might shoot me.”

“Good Lord.” Adam removed his glasses and pulled a handkerchief from his vest pocket. He began cleaning the lenses. “She is taking this too far. Do you think she’s simply trying to protect Parks? Are you sure he was released from prison and didn’t escape from it?”

“He served his time.”

“Luna doesn’t know you as well as she thinks,” Adam said with a half-smile. “She obviously is fooled by those suits you wear. She thinks you’re a genteel fellow, more adept at fighting with words than guns. She doesn’t realize that you can shoot a rooster’s eye out at twenty paces and that you’ve never lost a saloon fight.”

Zach smiled, ruefully. “I think a few of those fights were draws. But you’re right. She probably thinks Mel Parks could make me shake in my boots. I’d like nothing better than for that scrawny sack of cattle dung to draw on me or take a swing at me.”

“Don’t go looking for more trouble, Zachary. Keep your head screwed on tight.”

He batted away the advice. “I’m going to talk to a few of Luna’s gal pals and see if any of them can recall the ins and outs of her romance with Hastings. If I can figure out what was in his mind … why he divorced Jennie and then went back to her …”

“Wouldn’t you go back to her?” Adam asked, and his tone was a bit too silky.

Zach chuckled and wagged a finger at him. “I’m not stepping onto that trap door so you can pull the lever to let me swing.” He stood and stretched lazily. “She’s a good looking woman, but I have represented better looking women than her and they didn’t turn my head or make me forget my business with them,”

“And yet you invited her to dinner,” Adam mused aloud, glancing at the ceiling in contemplation. “What can that mean?”

“You don’t have to worry, Adam. I’m not moony-eyed over Jennie Hastings.”

“All kidding aside, Zach, Jennie Hastings is a lovely woman, and once this case is over and she is no longer a client and a suitable amount of time goes by, then I will have no complaint if you decide to romance her.”

“Hold up, Adam. I just told you not to worry, didn’t I? I haven’t
romanced
any of our clients, have I? I know plenty of females who aren’t clients and never have been. I might just bring one of them with me tonight.”

“Please do,” Adam said. “Which one? Sally the waitress or … oh, oh, that new clerk of Judge Steiner’s! She’s a pretty thing. What’s her name? Isobelle?

“Ibella,” he corrected. “Yeah, I might ask her.”

“You do that. Now, get out. I have work to do and neither of us is getting any younger – especially you.”

The clock in the back room of the dry goods store was striking eight bells when Jennie turned off the lights and let herself out of the back door. It had been a warm day, but night had brought a cool breeze. Jennie locked the door and slipped the key into her skirt pocket. She rolled her shoulders and craned her neck to get the kinks out that were put there by hours of bending over a needle and thread as she’d reworked the bodice of one dress and added ruffles to the skirt of another.

Word of her ability to transform plain, out dated frocks into fashionable, one-of-a-kind, ready-to-wear dresses had spread across Guthrie and she suddenly had a stack of dresses she had agreed to embellish. One or two nights a week, after Oliver was asleep, she came back to the dry goods store to work on the gowns. All the supplies she needed were here and her room was too small to try to turn it into a sewing room as well as a bedroom and living area for her and Oliver.

Some day they would have all the space they needed, she thought, yearning for her own kitchen and bedroom.

Walking along the side of the building toward Division Street, she saw a slight movement in the shadows. Was it a cat or dog? Jennie slowed, straining her eyes against the shadows. Something was there. She heard a soft sniffle.

“Who is that?” Jennie asked, her nerves jangling. She really shouldn’t be on the street alone at this time of night, but the re-made dresses were bringing in extra money she and Oliver needed.

“D-don’t be afeared,” someone said from the shadows. The voice was soft and full of tears. “It’s only me. Stella Carlson.”

Jennie move closer, her spurt of fear subsiding. “Are you all right?”

“Yes’m.”

Jennie could tell that she was lying. She was standing in front of the woman now and could see that she was a fragile thing with stringy blond hair and dark eyes that glistened with tears. Jennie’s soft heart melted and she instinctively placed a hand on the girl’s forearm. “You’re not all right. What’s wrong? Can I help?”

“No’m. No one can.”

“That can’t be true.” Jennie gently pulled her out of the inky shadows. The moment the moonlight poured over Stella’s face, Jennie sucked in a breath. The left side of Stella’s face was red and her eye was puffy. “Who did this? Who hit you?”

The girl ducked her head and tried to pull a thin curtain of hair over her bruised cheek and swelling eye. “Nobody … I ain’t talking. I’m fine.”

“Any fool can see that you’re not fine. I’m not leaving you here in this alley. Where do you live?”

“Above the Lantern Saloon,” she said, running the heel of her hand across her dripping nose. The smell of liquor wafted from her. “I work there.”

“I see. Well, then let’s go. I will walk with you.” Jennie linked an arm with Stella’s and set off along the street toward the saloon. “Is that where this happened?”

“Yes’m.”

“Would you rather go somewhere else?”

“No’m. He ain’t there no more. I saw him leave.”

“Who did you see leave?”

“Ummm … what’s your name?”

“Jennie Hastings. I work at the dry goods store.”

“You don’t have to walk with me. I can go by myself.”

“I’ll just make sure you get there safely.”

“What about you?” Stella asked, glancing around. “Who will walk you home?”

“My shadow,” Jennie said with a smile. “I don’t live very far away. We’re boarding at Philpot’s.”

“We? You got a man?”

Jennie laughed lightly. “No. I have a son. I’m a …my husband is dead.” She bit her lower lip, angry at herself that she couldn’t bring herself to say that she was divorced. Tipping up her chin, she tried to appear confident, although approaching the saloon where a man had obviously abused the young woman next to her sent a tremor coursing through her.

Guthrie had no shortage of liquor palaces. At last count, she believed there were no fewer than twenty. The Lantern Saloon was across the street from the Blue Belle Saloon and both did a bang-up business. It was Friday night and music floated from the beer halls down the street. Bursts of laughter drifted to them.

“Are you sure you want to go back in there? Isn’t there somewhere else you can go tonight? Perhaps you could stay with a friend.”

“No’m. I don’t got nobody here and I ain’t been here long enough to make friends. I’ll take the back stairs and go up to my room. I’ll be fine. I just had to get out of there while h-he was still there. Like I said, he done headed home now.”

They stopped at the alley that led to the back of the saloon. Jennie didn’t like leaving the slight, young woman to fend for herself. “How old are you, Stella?”

“Almost twenty.” She managed a smile. “Don’t you worry none, ma’am. I can take care of myself. You be careful going back to the boarding house. These streets can be mean.” She pulled her arm from Jennie’s and ran lightly to the alley, disappearing around the corner of the building.

Almost twenty? She doubted if the girl was any older than seventeen. Jennie hesitated for a few more seconds before she turned back in the direction they’d come to retrace her steps. She had gone no more than a few feet when she heard a familiar voice.

“Good night, ladies and gents! I bid you all adieu.”

Jennie turned to see Zachary Warner standing outside the Blue Belle Saloon. He whipped his hat off his head and tried to execute a fancy bow toward the batwing doors. He almost lost his balance, but caught himself before he could fall face-first in the dirt. She smiled, shaking her head as he pivoted in her direction and fitted his hat back onto his blond head. As he grew nearer, he squinted his eyes at her and then, finally, broke into a big grin.

“Well, bust my buttons, if it isn’t the prim and proper Mrs. Hastings. What brings you out in the streets at this hour?”

She arched a brow, not liking his new name for her. Prim and proper? She gave him a good once-over and determined that he was fairly liquored up. Not falling down drunk, she thought, but not steady on his feet either. He didn’t stop in front of her, but sort of stumbled to a halt. She smelled whiskey on him.

“I am making my way back to the boarding house,” she said. “It appears you have been imbibing at the Blue Belle.”

“I have indeed!” He winked at her. “You shouldn’t be out here alone. I’ll escort you back to Mrs. Philpot’s.” He made a circle with his forefinger, motioning her to turn and begin walking. When she did, he cupped her right elbow in his hand. “A lady like you should always have an escort.”

“How kind of you.” Jennie glanced sideways at him, but then couldn’t look away. Milky light from the stars and moon caressed his handsome features. His hat sat at a rakish angle and his blond, tousled hair spilling onto his forehead and curling at his collar. Suddenly, his gaze collided with hers and it was as if a jolt of lightning flashed through her. She wrenched her gaze away, hoping he wouldn’t see that she had been admiring his chiseled features. “You had a good time tonight?”

“Very. Had dinner at Adam and Bert’s and then I stopped in at the Blue Belle for a little more celebration.” The last word was slurred as if his tongue was getting to heavy to move properly.

“What are you celebrating?”

“My birthday.”

She stopped short, making him stumble again. “It’s your birthday?”

“Yep. Same day every dang year.” He squeezed her elbow, making her fall into step again.

“Happy Birthday, Zachary.”

“Thank you kindly.”

His strides had lengthened, but he wasn’t walking in a straight line. Instead, he angled first toward one side of the wide street and then to the other. By the time the boarding house came into view, Jennie was almost trotting to keep up with him. Under the street lamp, she saw that Zach’s skin was pale and he was breathing brokenly. His eyes didn’t seem to be focused either.