Redeeming Lies

by Samantha St. Claire

  Maddie saw the men a second later. "Oh my!" She yelled it, then dramatically threw her hand to her forehead in a way that would have made Jessie squeal with delight. "I'm feeling faint." She grabbed David’s arm.

  David's eyes darted in the direction of the men. "Faint? That would not be good. Perhaps we need assistance." He drew his mouth near her ear and whispered, "They've seen us. Good work. Now we'll see if they split up."

  This was preposterous, insane! What had made them imagine they could fool professional killers?

  Suddenly, a man dressed in a manner suggesting his close association with mining put a hand on David's sleeve. "Hey! Ain't you the new doctor?" He was directly in the path of the Sicilians, who were still together and threading their way across the platform toward Lena and Evan.

  David, flustered by the sudden appearance of a player not scripted in their play, gaped at the man. He seemed to be searching his mind for the proper dialogue.

  A shout arose from the far side of the platform. Maddie twisted her neck around in time to see Lena slap Evan hard enough to rock him back on his heels. From where she stood, it did not appear fake. Evan's shocked face gave further evidence to the reality of the impact. A small space suddenly parted around them, passengers gawking at the couple. The result proved to work because both Sicilians stopped walking to swivel their heads between Lena and Maddie.

  After a brief exchange, Maddie saw the men split up. The taller man headed in Evan's direction. That meant that the stockier one, Bart’s supposed knife man, was heading toward them at a fast pace. Her heart picked up its own pace.

  David must have seen it too, but he was still engaged with the miner. He grabbed the man by the arms and physically moved him to the side. "Excuse me, but this woman needs my attention right now."

  He'd barely turned back when a beefy man with sausage-sized fingers appeared. Although the man lacked the height to give him an imposing presence, his face bore the marks of cruelty, small eyes heavily veiled by thick brows, a sardonic grin contorting his features. "I'll take the bag," he hissed.

  Maddie took a step back, bringing one hand protectively to her chest. She threw a glance across the platform. Where was the sheriff and Mr. Cummings?

  David drew himself up, attempting to step between the Sicilian and Maddie. The thug anticipated his move and grabbed Maddie's arm. His heavy hand encircled her wrist, and he jerked her tight to his side. She winced as the unmistakable pinprick of a knife pressing into her ribs reaffirmed Bart's assessment of the man's weapon of choice.

  "Hand it over, or she dies." No one beyond the three of them could have heard what he said. The crooked smile masked his deadly intentions. Before Maddie could employ any of the defensive techniques her father had taught her, David was surrendering the bag.

  David stretched out his arm, the bag in reach. As the Sicilian’s attention was momentarily drawn to the bag, Maddie reached up. Pulling the hat pin from her hair, she rammed it down into the man's hand. Feeling the resistance of muscle, she gritted her teeth and forced the pin deeper.

  The knife clattered to the floor as the man yowled and plucked at the pin skewering his hand. Before he had a chance to extract it, David swung the bag up and then sharply down on the man's other arm. She heard a sickening crack. The yowl changed to a scream of agony.

  It took David a little more effort to restrain the man with an arm tight beneath the man's throat. All of it took less than a minute. Both Maddie and David stared at each other with round eyes, breathing at a pace to match the puffing steam engine.

  The crowd that had quickly encircled them parted to allow the sheriff to step in. "Nicely done, Dr. Reynolds." He nodded to Maddie. "Miss Jennings. Sorry I wasn't here sooner. Cummings told me to be here precisely at 10:00 and no sooner. He said his men would be arriving on the train and any further presence of officers of the law might scare off the thieves. I figured he's the expert, so I complied."

  Reaching around the sheriff, David ripped the hat pin from the thug's hand, extracting both another scream and the pin. He wiped the pin on his sleeve and handed it to Maddie, a wicked grin lifting the corner of his lips. "This is yours, I believe. Nicely done, Miss Jennings."

  Maddie blinked. How could this be the same man who shyly took her arm to cross the rain drenched streets just last week? He seemed to be enjoying this.

  David retrieved the leather satchel and took Maddie's arm with his free hand. He directed his attention back to the sheriff. "I'm just glad you were here when you were. Do we have enough witnesses to prove their intent to harm?"

  The sheriff roared, "More than likely. The judge I'm thinking of won't take kindly to foreign criminals bringing their big city ways into Idaho Territory. I’ll put this one behind bars."

  Maddie spun on her heel standing on her toes squinting toward the opposite side of the platform. "Lena!" She pulled free and took off at a run, her skirt lifted above her boots.

  Lena met her half-way with open arms. "It's all right. We're all right." The train whistle blew just as they embraced. Passengers flowed around them as they moved to board.

  Maddie glanced past Lena's shoulder where Evan and Bart had the second Sicilian restrained between them, the man sporting a bruise a glorious shade of fuchsia. "What happened? I don't see Mr. Cummings."

  "We didn't either until just seconds ago. It was a good thing Bart was here. The man pulled a gun on us, but Bart was right there. This miscreant chose wisely not to argue with a rifle muzzle stuck in his ear."

  Bart caught her eye and grinned, lifting his rifle in his free hand like a triumphant banner.

  "But why isn't Mr. Cummings with you now?" Maddie swiveled her head back and forth scanning the nearly empty platform. The train doors closed, and she grabbed Lena's arm. "Where's the satchel?"

  Lena frowned. "Why, I gave it to Mr. Cummings. He said his men would be here shortly to take charge of the prisoners. Didn't he come to you first?"

  Maddie bit her lip. "No."

  As the train began to pull out of the station, Maddie couldn't wait to explain. Skirts lifted, she took off sprinting for the train.

  "Maddie!" David huffed behind her. "What's wrong?"

  Without slowing, she yelled back breathless, "We've been scammed!"

  Chapter 32

  David leaped onto the platform of the rear train car seconds behind Maddie. She'd provided no reason to do so. Other than her own stubborn determination to follow the money, she could scarcely form a sensible explanation.

  A few curious faces met them as they stepped into the aisle, breathless. The conductor met them with a hard expression, eyebrow cocked. "Tickets?"

  Maddie squeezed past the man, scanning the assemblage of passengers, leaving David to deal with the issue of fares. Barely a quarter of the seats were filled. Closing her eyes for a second, she steadied her racing heart then opened them to begin the systematic evaluation of each person.

  Behind her, she could hear David attempting to mollify the conductor. He’d do fine. She moved up the aisle, her eyes examining each face. Cummings couldn't have gone far. The train only pulled three passenger cars.

  Two men, ranchers by their more prosperous appearance, sat behind two younger men dressed like cattle hands. All wore large brimmed hats. They obliged her interest in their faces by looking up as she passed, each tipping his hat in polite appreciative stares. A young mother with two children occupied three seats at the front of the car.

  Maddie cast a glance over her shoulder to see if David were following. She frowned. He still held the satchel in his hand. His physician's bag would have been more useful, an object that might have convinced passengers to trust him. People tended to open up to doctors. She clenched her teeth, aware how quickly she could revert to the old ways, looking for ways to use things and people to one's advantage. Besides, she didn’t need help to find Cummings. He’d be here, and she’d find him.

  But self-doubts weren’t far behind her. How had the man so completely deceived her? How had she n
ot seen through his pretense? He was good. He’d also, quite skillfully, used her fear against her.

  "He must be in one of the other cars," David whispered, coming up close behind her.

  Maddie pushed back her frustration and refocused on their quest. A quick nod and she opened the door, crossing the narrow platform between cars. A blast of crisp air helped to clear her muddled head. She took in a deep breath before opening the next door. She wasn't sure he'd be surprised to see them or be expecting them. It was best to be prepared. Without a single weapon between them, their best hope would be the element of surprise. Cummings had certainly managed that well by convincing them weapons would scare off the Sicilians. Masterfully done.

  A quick scan of the car revealed a couple she assumed to be members of the Nez Perce tribe. Jessie had identified a family soon after her arrival. Their features were similar as well as their clothing. The husband slumped in his seat, was apparently already asleep. Across the aisle sat a smartly dressed woman, her reticule in her lap. Maddie assumed her to be a seasoned traveler from the way she gripped it. She obviously knew the risks of losing one's possessions to casual acquaintances. If the woman were as smart as she appeared, she might even be carrying a small handgun inside. It was another useful bit of information.

  Farther back, lounging against the window, a familiar figure caught her attention. A moment more and she recognized the scruffy miner from the platform. She half-turned to David behind her, nodding in the man’s direction, she whispered, "Your friend from the station."

  The final passenger car held two well-dressed men who, by their dress and manner, might have been mining administrators or bankers. They looked up as she passed, nodding respectfully. A few seats away, a woman cradled a baby in her arms while trying to console a crying toddler beside her. She did not look up as her hands were too full of trouble. The remaining seats were empty.

  Only the luggage car remained. David sidled up to her, speaking quietly, "You’re convinced Cummings was not an agent?"

  She detected a hint of skepticism in his voice. She bristled. "I didn't say that, but I'm quite certain he took the money for himself."

  He opened his mouth to ask more, but she shook her head, dismissing further speculation. "There isn't time to explain." She opened the door to the next platform. "Come on."

  The wind picked up her skirt and blew a lock of hair across her eyes. She took the time to secure it beneath her hat before trying the door to the baggage car. It wasn't locked. Stepping into the darkened car after being in the bright sunlight momentarily blinded her. She hung back waiting for her eyes to adjust to the ambient interior light.

  David touched her hand. Without allowing her to protest, he squeezed around her to take the lead. As he took a step forward he reached back, taking her hand firmly in his. They inched forward in a half-crouch. Maddie expected Cummings to reveal himself at any moment, stepping from behind a box or stack of saddles. Undoubtedly, he’d be armed. But they reached the back of the car and saw no one, and no indication that the man had been there.

  David put his finger to his lips, reaching for the last door. He put up a hand to stop her from following. She saw him stiffen and shift the satchel from his left hand to his right. Two heartbeats passed before he flung open the door. The platform was empty. Behind this last car, the view was of the diminishing hills sheltering Ketchum.

  His brows knit tightly together, David looked as frustrated as she felt. What reason did he have to believe her? She could imagine his thoughts ranging from doubt in her conviction to doubt in her truthfulness. Why wouldn’t he suspect her? He might even conjecture that she and Cummings were in league together. She had to find the man.

  "Maybe he didn't get on the train," Maddie said, her voice heavy with disappointment.

  David stood quietly, his dark eyes on her for a long moment before saying, "He could have only pretended to board the train. Maybe he had a horse ready on the other side of the train."

  Maddie chewed her lip. Her instincts told her he was here. She knew. "He's in disguise, David. It's what my father would have done. It's what I did. He planned this out, all of it. He had time to prepare a disguise."

  "But why would he bother? If he had us fooled into thinking he was legitimate why would he hide behind a disguise?"

  "Because a smart thief prepares for the plan to go sideways. He knew that when we got together again, we'd likely figure it out. He knew we'd probably phone ahead to the authorities in Hailey or Shoshone, and they'd be waiting for him. He had to change his appearance."

  David frowned down at her, pursing his lips. She imagined the argument raging in his head. He seemed to reach a resolution and said, "Let's go back through the train then. He has to be one of those passengers."

  This time they were seeing the passengers from behind as they walked up the aisle. The woman was unmistakably a woman as Maddie noticed that she was discretely nursing her infant. Without their hats on, the business men's heads made it easy for her to look at the overall shape and match that with her memory of Cummings. Her ability to have read him might have been repressed for some reason, but her memory was still flawless. She'd recognize him. It might just take time, and that time was slipping away as fast as the few miles of track that lay between here and Hailey.

  At the end of the car, she leaned forward to ask, "How long does it take to get to Hailey?"

  "It's a short trip. Under an hour, I think."

  "We have to find him before we get there!"

  David opened the door to the second car. He stopped just inside the car, grabbing her arm again. "I don't know that man," he whispered.

  "Who? The miner?"

  "Yes. He said he knew me but I definitely do not remember him. Could that have been Cummings already in disguise?"

  Maddie closed her eyes, picturing the skuzzy miner. She'd barely taken heed of him as she anticipated their confrontation with the Sicilians. Maybe. Before she could stop him, David reached for the man's hat and ripped it from his head. The miner leaped to his feet and spun to face David, more agile than he’d first appeared.

  "Who are you?" David demanded. Before the man could answer David reached forward and tugged hard at the man's whiskers.

  Maddie quickly made notice of the reactions of each of the other passengers. The Nez Perce couple seemed to be ignoring the ruckus David was causing. That wouldn't be surprising. They might end up being blamed for it. Only the attractive woman across from them seemed to take an interest. Maddie noticed how she gripped her bag more tightly in her hand. The alertness in her eyes confirmed Maddie's suspicions that she was a savvy traveler. She might yet reveal what she carried in that handbag.

  Turning sideways, she slipped past David and hurried down the aisle to the final car. Cummings had to be one of the ranchers or ranch hands. She paused at the door, heart racing. Surprise was her only advantage and with each pass through the train car that edge was dulling. She stepped into the car.

  From her position behind them, she took her time, what precious time she had remaining. The two cowboys had thick necks and far wider shoulders than Cummings. One can't fake muscles such as they had. Judging by their friendly banter, the two ranchers knew each other. She strolled beside them then shifted her balance, falling into the laps of the two men.

  "Whoa there, Miss." She feigned difficulty in regaining her feet. The man closest to the aisle took a firm grip on her arm and slipped another around her waist. "Steady on."

  Maddie took as much time as she could to explore their faces fully, the skeletal structure of their lips, eyes and chin. Cummings had not enough time to transform his features to this degree. He was good, but surely not that good.

  "Excuse me, gentlemen. How embarrassing!" She brought her hand fluttering to her breast. "Thank you so much. Train travel can be quite dangerous, I see."

  Both men rose to their feet, all solicitous. "May we assist you to your seat?"

  "No, thank you. My husband is just through there, you see." Sh
e brushed out her skirt and gave them a generous smile. "Thank you."

  Reversing her course to return to the second car, she suddenly recognized her mistake. Fairly running back, the way she had come, she flung open the door to the second car. David was still engaged with the miner and now the conductor as well. The poor official was attempting once more to assert his authority by controlling the situation. Maddie's eyes sought out the Nez Perce couple. The husband was gone.

  She slipped into the seat beside the woman. "Excuse me. Your husband, where is he?"

  The woman turned dark sullen eyes on her, her mouth angry. "You're mistaken, Miss. He isn't my husband." The eyes narrowed. "He’s no Nez Perce, either."

  Maddie leaped to her feet and raced down the aisle, squeezing past the three men. David caught her eye as she passed.

  The Indian was not in the next car. He had to have escaped to the baggage compartment or perhaps he planned to jump from the train. She mentally kicked herself for assuming all the wrong things. Maybe Cummings was right; she wasn't as good as she thought she was.

  She paused at the door, caution bells ringing in her head. Self-preservation was one thing her father had hammered into her. Rushing can make you lose your focus and your ability to assess danger. Again, she stood outside the baggage car, wind whipping her hair and skirt. She closed her eyes for precious moments to help her eyes adjust to the dark interior.

  Unwilling to wait longer, she inched the door open. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her. It was better this time. Boxes and luggage appeared more distinct. Squinting into the shadows, she crept forward, her hand touching the boxes as she passed. If he wasn't here, he'd jumped. With a sinking feeling, she realized they might never find him and she'd still be a wanted woman.

  "I must say, you are a persistent woman." Cummings rose before her, the black wig gone. His skin showed white at the hairline where he'd not had the time to finish applying dark makeup. His teeth gleamed white against his stained skin.