Summer of the Midnight Sun (31 page)

Jayce sized up the men and then looked to Helaina again. “Why are you telling me this?”

Helaina pinned her hat securely and looked at the two sailors. “I will leave with the other passengers, and then I’d like for you to bring him along when the crew leaves the ship. I’ll secure a carriage and meet you at the end of the docks. You said it would be about an hour—is that correct?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the older of the two answered. “We’ll have him to you in an hour or less.”

“Very well. I’ll go along now with the rest of the passengers.” She turned to Jayce and met his curious expression. “If you want a chance to prove your innocence, then cooperate with me in this. These men have been paid well to see you do not slip away from my charge.” With that she left, not even giving Jayce a chance to answer.

He looked at the two men. “So she paid you well, eh?”

“Very well.” It was the same man who’d answered earlier. “She said you might try to promise us the moon, but that you didn’t have a cent to your name.”

“Well, she’s right—at least I don’t have a cent on me. I actually do have money in the bank. If you’re open to negotiations. . . ?”

The men glanced at each other, then returned their gaze back to Jayce. “Sorry. We gave the lady our word. Besides, she has the law on her side. We don’t plan to get on the wrong side of the law. She told us that if you escaped she’d put us in jail.”

Jayce nodded. “No doubt she would. Well, fear not. I intend to go along with this plan of hers for the time being.” And he spoke the truth. Just the fact that she was willing to consider him as innocent seemed worth the gamble.

An hour later the men delivered Jayce to Helaina. Her nervousness was palpable; she kept scanning the docks and motioning for the men to hurry. Finally Jayce was seated opposite her in the cab.

“What are you doing?” Jayce demanded as Helaina leaned over to unlock his leg irons. “I thought I was under arrest.”

“You are,” Helaina replied. “I just have some final paper work to get, and that may take a bit of time. Until then, we aren’t leav ing.” She tossed the irons into her bag, then leaned back against the seat.

“So you’re going to leave me in handcuffs indefinitely? These aren’t exactly comfortable, you know. And I could use a bath and a shave.”

Helaina stared out the window. It was obvious that she had a lot on her mind. And why not? Jayce had hounded her all the way from Sitka to Seattle. He told her about his brother, and while she had seemed notably surprised at this turn of events, she had refused to comment on the possibilities.

“I have a right to a lawyer,” he now told her. “I want one now.”

“No,” she replied in a curt manner.

“You have no right to hold me against my will this way.”

Helaina finally looked at him. “I have a warrant for your arrest. I can do as I please. I have legal authority by way of my association with the Pinkertons.”

“Look, you have to believe me, Mrs. Beecham. I’m not guilty of these crimes. I have people in Vancouver who will testify to my being there during the times you’ve suggested I was elsewhere committing crimes. I’ve already told you that my brother Chase has been in constant trouble since the day he was born. He’s been in and out of jails. Get in touch with the New York City police. They can tell you all about my brother.”

Jayce looked at her for a reply. She seemed lost in her thoughts. Perhaps at last she was finally beginning to consider his innocence. “I’d like to help you catch my brother. The truth is, I saw him in Last Chance in June, just before the dog attack sent me to Nome.”

She frowned. “The captain of the
Homestead
said you were with them in the Arctic prior to the time they had to leave because of sickness and other problems.”

“But you know that I wasn’t there,” Jayce replied. “I was with Leah in Ketchikan, where I also have witnesses. I also took a trip to Juneau and have witnesses there as well.”

“There’s just no way to prove that you aren’t the one responsible for killing those agents,” Helaina said, shaking her head.

“If I can prove by the dates to have been somewhere else, then you would have to concede my innocence.”

The cab stopped in front of the elegant Sorrento Hotel. Jayce could see it was a large, respectable place tailored in an Italian style. “How are you going to account for dragging me through the lobby in these?” He held up his manacled hands.

“We will drape my cloak over your arms,” Helaina replied.

“And if I refuse to cooperate?”

She looked at him for a moment. “You don’t have to cooperate. I can call the authorities and have you escorted to Washington, D.C., tonight. My brother will take his information against you and see you hanged. Or you can do what I tell you to do, and I’ll continue checking out your story. It’s that simple.”

“But if I leave for Washington tonight, the authorities will also have to check out my story.”

“Not necessarily, Mr. Kincaid. You see, I’m the only one who has found evidence of discrepancies that might show you to be innocent. Stanley might not be as likely to look into them.”

“So you believe me?” Jayce felt a wave of hope.

Helaina shook her head. “I don’t know what to believe. I do know that it isn’t a simple matter any longer. I once thought it was very clear—thought I understood what I needed to do. But now it’s different.”

“I appreciate whatever mercy you might extend.”

She frowned. “This isn’t about mercy. It’s about justice.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Justice is seeing the right man punished for the crimes he’s committed. That’s all this is—nothing more.”

The Sorrento stood as a remarkable tribute to the architect’s desire to blend the warmth and luxury of Italy with the growing desire for elegance in Seattle. Jayce noted the dark mahogany walls. It almost seemed as though they had stepped into a men’s club. Even the leather wing-backed chairs lent credence to this thought. Helaina seemed unimpressed. At least she made no comment.

They checked into the hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Beecham. Helaina explained to Jayce in a hushed voice that she wanted no trouble from the appearance of her, a widowed woman, sharing a room with a single man. Jayce heard her request a suite with a separate bedroom. She also demanded the bedroom have no windows. The clerk seemed rather confused by her stipulation, but he found exactly what she needed and concluded by asking her to have her husband sign the register.

She looked to Jayce as if expecting him to use this as an excuse to draw attention. Instead, he shook his head. “I’d prefer she sign.”

He then looked away as if bored and indifferent with the entire process. Jayce heard the clerk mutter in a thoroughly annoyed manner.

“It’s all right,” Helaina declared. “My husband can be a bit eccentric. You must forgive him.”

Jayce looked back to find her signing the register. The clerk then handed her the key and summoned a bellman. “Take their bags to room 212.”

“We only have one small bag,” Helaina said, smiling. “We can manage it ourselves.”

The clerk rolled his eyes. “Very well.”

They climbed the stairs to the second floor in silence. Jayce wanted to ask Helaina detailed questions about her plans, but he figured she would never reveal anything to him unless it suited her purpose. For now he’d give her the idea that he was cooperating, but if he felt things were getting out of hand, then he’d have to do otherwise. There was only one thing he would insist on.

Once they were secure in the hotel room, he tossed the cloak aside and faced Helaina. “You know that I could overpower you.”

She looked at him for a moment and nodded. “No doubt.”

“But I want you to understand and believe in my innocence. I want your help to clear my name. In return, I will stay here for a time. But I have two demands of my own.”

“And what would they be, Mr. Kincaid?”

“I want a lawyer, and I want to write a letter to Leah. She’s not going to understand my disappearance, and I won’t have her misunderstanding this situation. I love that woman. I plan to marry her, and not you or the entire Pinkerton Agency is going to stop me.”

She pulled off her hat and tossed it to a nearby writing desk. “I cannot allow you a lawyer at this time. If we involve anyone else—anyone—it will only jeopardize my ability to learn the truth.”

“A lawyer could get to information you’d have no right to,” Jayce protested.

“You are very naiïve, Mr. Kincaid. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I have my connections and my processes for getting things done. I am willing to learn the truth about this and see your brother rightfully take your place. However, you must yield this to me. I need time. As it is, my brother is going to be livid. I took you off that ship right under the nose of a half-dozen Pinkerton agents. I couldn’t see letting them take you, however, without at least trying to prove your claims one way or another. If I get you a lawyer, you’ll have to go to jail and sit in a cell. Is that what you want?”

Jayce looked around him. The room was comfortably situated with a sofa and several chairs, a writing desk, and a luxurious fireplace. The bedroom door was closed, so he had no way to know what that room held. He had to admit a grand hotel room was better than a cell any day. “I suppose I can wait it out for a while. Will you in return trust me to be without these?” He held up his cuffed hands. “After all, we’ve already established that it wouldn’t take much for me to overpower you—even manacled.”

She considered this for a moment, then went to her purse. Producing the key, she drew a deep breath. “I hope you will not disappoint my trust, Mr. Kincaid. If you do anything to cause me difficulty, I will end my quest to prove the truth.”

“I understand. If it helps at all, I give you my word that I’ll remain here as you attempt to get your proof.”

“Very well.” She unlocked the cuffs and tucked the key in her pocket. “As for the letter,” she said, crossing the room to open the bedroom door. “I suppose it will do no harm. I didn’t want Leah or Jacob hurt in this situation. I know Jacob believes me to be a horrible liar, but I had my job to do.”

“And that justifies telling lies?”

She reddened a bit at this. “Yes. Yes, I believe that I should use whatever means necessary to put evil criminals behind bars.”

“Does that include breaking the law yourself—as you’re doing now?”

She grew angry. “I’m doing this to help you. You’d do well to remember that. Believe me, I don’t understand my own choice in this. It’s all because of Jacob and the nonsense he tried to feed me about justice and mercy. If not for that, I’d just forget about the discrepancies and turn you over to the authorities. Furthermore, I’ll let you write your letter, but for now this bedroom is your cell.

I need to lock you in there to ensure that you won’t escape while I’m out trying to gather information.”

Jayce shrugged and walked to the door. Inside he could see a huge plush bed. “Suit yourself. I could use the sleep. Just make sure I have what I need to write that letter.”

She went to the desk and took out paper and ink. “This should serve your purpose.”

Jayce went into the room and waited for her to bring him the items. He stood at the far side of the bed so as not to unnerve her. Helaina placed the articles on the bed. “You should be able to use the nightstand for a table. I’ll be back in a few hours. I’ll bring you something to eat and drink at that time.”

“All right. You have my promise that I won’t try to leave.”

She met his gaze. There was something almost sad in her expression. She seemed troubled and confused. Jayce figured it was an inner war—a battle within her that she’d never had to confront before. Apparently Jacob had given her cause to see the flaws in her logic. Jayce silently thanked God for this, because he was certain had Jacob not planted those seeds of doubt, he’d even now be on a train bound for Washington and a hangman’s noose.

Helaina penned her words carefully. The telegram would cost her a precious amount of money, but she didn’t care. She’d already requested more money from her bank in New York; after all, the Sorrento was far from inexpensive.

Stanley. Send me the fingerprint file for Jayce Kincaid. I believe he is innocent and the prints will prove this. Send a courier as soon as possible to the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. Please don’t be angry with me. I just learned Kincaid has an identical twin brother named Chase. We need to be certain which brother committed the crimes. Helaina.

She reread the words several times and afterward handed the paper to the telegraph operator. “I need this to be sent immediately. Here’s the address.”

The man looked over the message and nodded. “There’s an extra charge for rush delivery.”

“I don’t care. This is a matter of life and death.”

He looked at her oddly and nodded. “Okay, but it won’t be cheap.”

“It’s already costing me everything,” she murmured.

Leah settled down onto a pallet beside her brother. She would have laughed at her circumstance had it not been such a grave situation. The only transportation they could get to Seattle was aboard a freighter. There were no cabins or beds to be had. Just a quiet corner in the hold.

“We’ll never get there in time,” Jacob said. His voice was so full of regret that Leah instantly felt sorry for him.

“So much has happened to bring us to this place, Jacob. I know it isn’t what either of us planned. We have to trust that God has everything in His hands.”

“But what can we possibly hope to accomplish?” Jacob refused to look at her. “Leah, we’re days behind them, and obviously Helaina had plans to be aided once she arrived in Seattle. Jayce is probably already gone.”

“I know that’s a possibility,” Leah agreed, “but I don’t feel like it’s the reality. Besides, Karen promised to help. Her nephew is a private investigator in Seattle. Adrik has wired him, and he’ll already be on the job before we arrive. God willing, he will have even found Helaina and Jayce and kept them from leaving Seattle.

Remember, he has many friends to call upon for assistance.”

“I know you’re right. There is hope. There is always hope. I’m just . . . well . . . I guess I don’t know what to think. Helaina told me there was more to her than what I thought, and I couldn’t begin to guess the half of it.”