Wilde West (16 page)

Grigsby said nothing. The gun still hadn't moved.

Oscar closed the case, tapped the cigarette against its monogrammed silver top. “Marshal Grigsby, if you've resolved to use that weapon, then there's probably very little I could say to dissuade you. You're obviously a man of determination, and naturally I find that altogether commendable. In England, one sees so little determination these days. Except, of course, among the mothers of marriageable daughters.” He put the cigarette to his lips. “But I do think that before you plug me—do I have that right? plug me?—you ought, at the very least, give me some clue as to why.”

“I know about the woman,” Grigsby said.

Of course. Tabor had sent the man. Tabor had learned somehow about last night's tryst with Elizabeth McCourt Doe and, no doubt vomitous with rage, he had dispatched this federal lawman lout to terrorize the adulterous poet. Or, as Vail had warned, to kill him.

Only thing to do was follow the Countess's advice and deny everything. Brazen it out. He plucked a match from the box, struck it, held the sputtering flame to the tip of the cigarette. He puffed. “And which woman might that be?” he asked. He inhaled deeply and then turned his head slightly sideways to exhale the cloud of smoke—just in case blowing smoke down the barrel of a gun was considered, in these parts, bad form.

“Molly Woods,” Grigsby said.

Oscar frowned. Molly Woods?

“I know about the others, too,” said Grigsby. “In San Francisco. And El Paso. And Leaven worth. Guess you figured no one would ever tie it all together. Looks like you were wrong, scout.”

Oscar was baffled. He inhaled again on his cigarette and said, “Would it be at all possible to convince you that I have no idea what you're talking about?”

Grigsby shook his head. The barrel of the gun never wavered.

“Well, then,” said Oscar, “suppose we do this—just as a sort of exercise, a way for the two of us to get to know each other better. Suppose you explain what it is you believe that these women and I have done, and then we continue from there. What do you say to that?”

What Grigsby said to that was nothing. He did appear, however, to be considering the proposition. Or considering something: his eyes had narrowed still further, speculatively. Oscar took heart.

“And really, Marshal Grigsby, I don't mind admitting that your revolver is an extremely impressive weapon. And I don't doubt for a moment that it's in excellent working order. But it looks rather a heavy piece of equipment. Wouldn't you be more comfortable if you returned it to its saddle, or holster, or whatever you call it?” He smiled—winningly, he hoped. “I know that
I
would. And I assure you that even without it, you will have my undivided attention.”

A moment passed. Then, faintly, slightly Grigsby nodded. He said, “You got some balls. Say that for you.”

Oscar sensed that this—just now, anyway—was perhaps the highest compliment that Grigsby could have paid him. He inclined his head. “I'm very gratified that you should think so.”

Grigsby stared at him for a moment more, and then suddenly swiveled the gun's barrel toward the ceiling. He eased down the hammer, frowned once, as though debating whether this were actually a good idea, and then returned the gun to its holster.

“There,” said Oscar, carefully preventing the enormous relief he felt from seeping—flooding—into his voice. “Isn't that better? Now why don't you sit down and tell me all about these women of yours? I'd offer you tea, but I'm afraid I've given my valet the morning off. Besides, I've discovered there isn't any in this hotel.”

Grigsby didn't sit. He hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jacket—which positioned his hand only inches from the butt of his pistol—and he asked, “What time you get back to the hotel this morning?”

“Quite late, actually. Around six, I believe.”

Grigsby nodded. “I talked to the clerk who worked the desk last night. Six, he says.”

For a moment Oscar was tempted to inquire why, if Grigsby had already known the answer, he had bothered to ask the question. Then he realized that the man had wanted to learn whether Oscar would essay a lie. And realized, too, that Grigsby was also informing him that very possibly he already knew the answers to any other questions he might ask. “Yes,” Oscar said. “Six.”

“He says you left at twelve-thirty. So where were you between twelve-thirty and six?”

“Wandering about,” Oscar said smoothly. “I often wander about in the early hours.”

“Where'd you wander to?”

Lightly, Oscar shrugged. “I couldn't begin to say. Here and there. Up streets and down them.” A bit of flattery, perhaps: “I was, I must say, extremely taken by the size and sophistication of your fine city.”

“It's not my city,” Grigsby said, curt and abrupt. “You talk to anyone? You see anyone?”

“No one at all. I prefer solitude on my rambles. This is, of course, why I conduct them at night.”

Grigsby said nothing.

“But really, Marshal Grigsby, I thought you were going to tell me what all this is about. Women, you said.”

Grigsby peered into Oscar's eyes for a moment, as though his stare could somehow lance through them and snag the thoughts skimming beneath their surface. Then he said, “Hooker got killed last night.”

“Did he,” Oscar said. “I can't say that I know the gentleman.”

Grigsby was watching him closely. “Not a he. A hooker. A whore. A prostitute.”

Oscar nodded. One could never tell with American slang. “And she was killed, you say.” Surely the man would get to the point soon.

“She was gutted. Whoever did it cut her up like a side of beef. Worse. He scraped the meat off her bones. He sliced it up into strips, like jerky, and threw it around the room. He scraped off her face. Her nose, her mouth, everything. He—”

“Wait!” Oscar interrupted him, wincing in horror as he held up a shaking hand. “Stop!” He was ill. “Why are you telling me this?”

Still watching him, gauging him, Grigsby said. “That was Molly Woods.”

“Molly Woods?
That
was Molly Woods?” And then he realized: “And the knife. You think—Good Lord, you think that
I
did that?”

Grigsby said nothing, merely stood there, watching.

Oscar remembered: “And
others
, you said? There were
more
of them? Like
that
? In San Francisco?”

“And El Paso,” Grigsby added evenly. And Leavenworth. All of them killed off when you were there, giving one of your talks.”

“But that's impossible. That can't
be.
” He shook his head. Stunned, disbelieving. “No. No. A coincidence. A dreadful coincidence.”

Grigsby shook his head. “All of them cut up the same way. All of them hookers. No coincidence.”

“Someone is following the tour. Some madman.”

“And why's that?”

“How should I know? How should anyone? A madman's logic is impossible to fathom. Yes, that's it, that must be. That explains it. A madman.”

“Sonovabitch is crazy. But following this tour of yours?” He shook his head. “Don't see it.”

“Have any of these killings taken place in towns where I haven't lectured?”

Grigsby frowned. “I'm lookin' into that.”

Oscar sensed a possible momentary advantage here. “Because if even one of them has, don't you see, this would mean that the killer is someone unconnected to the tour.”

“If,” Grigsby said.

“But it must be. A madman. Someone completely unconnected. It's the only possibility that makes sense.”

“Nope,” said Grigsby. “Not the only one.”

“Mr. Grigsby. Marshal Grigsby.” Oscar leaned earnestly forward. “You don't know me. I understand that. But if you knew me even slightly, even in the most peripheral, insignificant way, you would realize that what you're suggesting is utterly impossible. It's absolutely preposterous. I literally would not harm a fly. I've been known to catch them in teacups—
Sèvres
teacups—and ferry them to the nearest window, so they can flutter off and merrily live out their little fly lives.”

Grigsby nodded. “So you're still sticking to this story that you were out walking last night.”

“Yes, of course.” It was unthinkable, whatever the threat to himself, that he mention Elizabeth McCourt Doe.

“From twelve-thirty till six.”

“Yes.”

“Why'd you ask the desk clerk how to find Lincoln and Washington?”

“Pardon me?”
Dear God, yes, why
?

“Lincoln Street and Washington Street. You asked the desk clerk where they were. How come?”

“Ah. Yes. They were presidents, you see.”

Grigsby frowned. “Presidents.”

“American presidents. It's a caprice of mine. A whim. Whenever I'm in a new city, I like to visit streets named after American presidents. I'm enormously keen on American history. Especially the presidents.”

For the first time since entering the room, Grigsby smiled. It was a faint smile, and one that held less amusement than it did a weary, distant scorn. “You got some balls, all right.”

Oscar produced an elaborate frown. “How do you mean?”

“You really figure I'm gonna buy that.”

“If by
buy it
, you mean
believe it
—then, yes, certainly.” Sincerity without indignation: don't overplay the part.

“What other streets you visit here in Denver that got the name of presidents?”

“Ah, well, none as yet, I'm sorry to say. I've been terribly busy.”

“Name me some presidents.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know your presidents. Name me some.”

“Ah.” He inhaled on the cigarette, exhaled. “In chronological order?”

Grigsby smiled the faint smile again. “Any ole way you want, scout.”

“Well. Let me see. There was Adams. And Jefferson. Then Madison, of course. Monroe. Then another Adams.”

Grigsby's smile had faded.

“One of my particular favorites,” Oscar said, exhaling cigarette smoke, “is Jackson. It's the log cabin, I expect. Such a nice rustic touch. But on the other hand, I imagine that being born in a log cabin must be an extremely limiting experience. One is compelled, evidently, to become the president of the United States. Like Lincoln, for example. I think this quite unfair. What do you think, Marshal?”

Grigsby frowned. “I think I been sandbagged.”

“Sorry?”

Grigsby nodded once. “You made your point. You know your presidents.”

As Oscar noticed a droplet of perspiration prickling down his side, he sent up a silent blessing to whatever gods had provided him with that wretchedly written little pamphlet on American history he'd glanced at before leaving London. And a blessing, as well, to his own superbly retentive memory.

Grigsby said, “You got people traveling with you on this tour.”

“That's right. Yes.”

“Who?”

“Marshal Grigsby, I can assure you that none of them could be responsible for this … horrible thing.”

Grigsby nodded. “S'pose you give me the names.”

“But honestly—”

“One way or the other,” Grigsby said, “I'm gonna find out who they are. Save us both some time.”

Oscar inhaled on his cigarette. “Very well,” he said, exhaling. “But none of these people could have done this.”

Grigsby nodded. “The names,” he said.

Oscar sighed. “First of all, there's Mr. Jack Vail. My business manager.” He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

“He been with the trip since San Francisco?”

“Since the beginning. Since New York. We began the tour in New York, and that more or less establishes his innocence, doesn't it? I mean, none of these dreadful murders were committed before San Francisco.”

Grigsby shook his head. “Don't know that.”

Oscar frowned. “You mean there might be still
more
of them?”

“Maybe.”

Oscar winced again.

“You started the trip in New York?”

“That's correct, yes. New York.”

“When was that?”

“January.”

“When you get to San Francisco?”

“Toward the end of the month. I don't have the exact date. I'm afraid I'm not much good with dates. Vail would know.”

“You were in El Paso, Texas, on February twenty-fourth.”

Oscar nodded. “Very likely.”

“And Leavenworth, Kansas, on March the first.”

“If you say so.”

“If you went as far east as Leavenworth, how come you came back this way afterwards?”

“An excellent question, one that I've frequently asked Mr. Vail myself. It has to do, apparently, with the availability of the lecture halls.”

Grigsby nodded. “Okay. Vail. Where's he stayin'?”

“Where's Vail stayin'?”

“Here. In the hotel.”

“Which room?”

“203.”

Grigsby nodded. “Who else?”

“Colonel von Hesse. Wolfgang von Hesse. A retired Prussian military officer. It would be absolutely impossible for him to have done this.”

Grigsby nodded, his face empty. “How long's he been with the trip?”

“Since San Francisco.”

“How come he's travelin' with you?”

“He's acting as escort to Countess de la Môle.”

“Who?”

“Countess Mathilde de la Môle. From France.”

“She joined up with you in San Francisco?”

“Yes.”

“How come?”

“She introduced herself. She knows some people I know in London. She was traveling across the country and asked if she might join the tour.”

“Where they stayin'?”

“Here in the hotel. We're all staying here.”

“Room number?”