Playing the game, Lilly pasted an angry look on her face and reached over to grab his shoulder. As he turned toward her in feigned irritation, Bonnie planted her hands on her hips and said, “What do you think? She’s furious because Erin is reopening The Thirsty Traveler. She got word from somewhere today that your friend had gone to meet with that Frenchy, what’s her name?”
“Simone Delacroix.”
Bonnie ran her fingers through Cade’s hair, and he turned back to her. “Monty needs to talk,” she said with a seductive smile.
“We were just going to ask you if you’d heard from him,” Cade said, as she sat down on his knee. “We were getting worried about him. Do you know what he wants?”
“Haven’t a clue.”
Lilly got up from her chair and marched around the table, grabbing Bonnie’s arm and jerking her off Cade’s lap. “Leave him alone, you two-bit tramp!” she yelled, trying to keep the charade going. To her shock, Bonnie responded by slapping her. Hard.
A feral sound, something between a growl and a snarl, came from Lilly’s throat, and, before she realized what she was doing, she reached out and caught her friend by the hair. Cade was there in an instant, grabbing Lilly around the waist and ordering her to let go. “A little too much realism, lass,” he murmured in her ear.
Coming to her senses and horrified by her actions, she released her hold on Bonnie at once.
“Velvet’s watching,” Cade said. “She’s sending the bouncer over. Let’s go before we get pitched out on our ears.” He grabbed Lilly’s hand and dragged her toward the doorway.
Once they were outside and down the street, he turned to her with a wide grin. “Great acting, Miss Long.”
“Why thank you, Agent McShane.” When she started to place a palm against her cheek, she realized he still held her hand. “I wasn’t expecting Bonnie to get so realistic.”
The semidarkness added a seductive note to his laughter. “It didn’t look like acting when you tried to pull out her hair.”
A rush of remorse swept over Lilly. “I’m ashamed to say it wasn’t. When she slapped me, I don’t know what came over me. Six months ago, I’d never have behaved in such an appalling fashion, but now this . . . this life seems to be rubbing off on me.”
He stopped and faced her. “When you took this job, you were tough in a lot of ways, Lilly, but in others, you were a complete innocent. You know that. What’s happening to you is the natural, normal progression of learning the business, of learning to take care of yourself. If Bonnie had been a real adversary, your actions would have been the right thing. Good job.”
She heaved a heavy sigh, and he released her hand. “If you say so. Are we going to practice in the morning?”
“Yes. Same time.”
They were almost back to The Thirsty Traveler when a man stepped out of a shadow-shrouded alley. Cade stepped in front of Lilly, his derringer already in his hand.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t get my message.”
“Monty!”
“You should announce yourself,” Cade told him, depositing his gun back into the inner pocket of his jacket. “You almost met your maker.”
“That ’ud be all right with me.” Monty backed further into the shadows, and Cade and Lilly followed, trusting their instincts about the man.
“Do you have some information for us?”
“I sure do. I was loading up some garbage out back of Rosalie’s this afternoon, and she has a couple of new girls. She started telling them about Dottie and Nora, and I heard everything, because I was just outside the kitchen door.”
“Why would she do that?” Lilly asked.
“Probably trying to scare them into doing what they’re told,” Cade replied.
“That’s right. When they asked her who’d do such a thing, Rosalie told them that I was a suspect, and that she’d heard that some people were beginning to say that Velvet had Eli finish Nora off for trying to turn the girls away from the life.”
Which was exactly what Lilly and Cade thought. Velvet the mastermind; Wilkins the assassin.
“Then she laughed and told them it was probably me, even though there was no proof, because Eli had been with her all night, drinkin’ and carousin’. She said he was still sleeping it off the next day when they found Nora. She had to wake him up to tell him.”
Cade and Lilly looked at each other in the semidarkness.
“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” Cade asked.
“Can’t see why not,” Monty said. “She’s had a thing going on with him for a long time. Velvet, too.”
“We’d heard that. So, it’s true?”
“I’d say so.” Monty started backing toward the far end of the alleyway. “Guess you can mark Eli off your list.”
“I guess we can. You watch your back, Monty. You’ll be the main suspect now.”
“I know. I been tryin’ to lay low, but I’m gonna have to be real careful until you find the killer.”
He turned and started to walk away. Lilly placed a hand on his arm. “How will we find you?”
“You won’t. I’ll find you. One more thing. There’s talk that some young girl who lives a few blocks away is missing. That’s all I know. There’ll probably be something in the papers tomorrow.” With that, he spun around and sprinted down the dark passageway into the even darker night that lay beyond.
“There goes our case,” Lilly said, preceding Cade back to the street.
“I’d say so, but I’m not sure I believe Rosalie.”
“Why would she lie?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time a woman has lied to protect a man, and, if Wilkins is guilty, her saying he was with her puts him back in the ‘I owe you’ column. It’s all about protecting each other and their crooked activities.”
“I understand that part, but I thought Davies was with Rosalie.”
Cade chuckled. “Rosalie is with whomever Rosalie wants to be with on any given night.”
Lilly thought about that and knew he was right. Rosalie wasn’t the kind of person to let the truth stand in the way of what she wanted. “Well, even though she’s given Wilkins an alibi, there’s still Velvet. She had plenty of reason to get rid of Nora.”
“You’re right. We need to keep tabs on her.”
“What do you think about the missing girl?”
“If she’s really missing and hasn’t just run away, there’s a possibility that someone is working overtime trying to get replacements for the kids Nora helped escape. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 20
Erin was still sleeping when Lilly and Cade left the next morning. Their hasty departure from Velvet’s after the scene with Bonnie had caused them to miss her. Lilly had heard Erin’s footsteps coming up the stairs at some time during the wee hours of the morning. Her heart had broken just a little, and she’d even cried herself to sleep, thinking of what Cade’s sister and all the other women who were entrenched in the life had been through.
When Lilly had awakened at dawn, both her heart and her body felt weighted down with sorrow. She was ready to find Nora’s killer and go back to Chicago. This assignment was wearing on her in more ways than she could ever have imagined.
Cade had the coffee made when she went downstairs, and they grabbed a hunk of cheese and a dense white Irish bread made with saleratus and buttermilk that Lilly had bought at the store the day before.
Since they were interested in seeing what everyone was saying about the missing girl, they left extra early so they could be back by the time the newspaper hit the street. Cade suggested that they find a place closer to town, and when they saw a deserted cabin well off the road, he decided it would be a good spot.
While they were still a good distance away, Lilly noticed two horses out front and mentioned it to Cade.
“That looks like the marshal’s mare,” he said, pulling the buggy to a stop.
She shaded her eyes with her hand and tried to make out the horse’s markings. She knew litt
le about horses and had never paid attention to what the lawman rode.
Cade handed her the reins.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to sneak up there and see if I can find out what’s going on.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you think it’s unusual for the marshal to be meeting someone at this ungodly hour?”
“I suppose it is,” she said, frowning. Then her face cleared. “Do you suppose he’s meeting someone he shouldn’t be or trying to hide something?”
“That would be my guess. Take the rig back to that road a half a mile or so back. Go down it until you can’t see the main road and wait for me.”
“Why?”
“If you can’t see the road, no one who’s going down the main road can see you.”
“Oh. B—”
“No buts. Just do as I say. I don’t want you in the middle of things if they catch me.”
“I don’t want you in the middle of things, either,” she said before she could stop herself.
“Then I’d better not get caught.”
She scowled at him, but he’d already jumped down from the buggy and was sprinting toward the cabin at an angle, moving from one scrubby bush to another.
Turning the rig around, she headed back the way they’d come. It didn’t take long to reach their rendezvous point. She hopped down and tied the reins to a nearby bush and began to pace. How long should she wait before going for help?
Who would you get, Lilly? The marshal is here.
She shook her head and tried to concentrate on what they’d learned. Not much. It would be helpful to know if Nora’s molesters had found her by accident, or if the incident had been planned. Who had sneaked into Monty’s place while he was working one of his many odd jobs and shot her while she was recovering? Now that they’d learned their chief suspect had an alibi for the night Nora was killed, they were back to Velvet. After all, Nora had worked for her, and Nora had gone out of her way to try to bring down the operation.
Another question that needed answering was which sick individual in town had sent Wilkins after innocent little girls . . . or boys? From what she’d observed, Wilkins’s taste appeared to run to older women, but one never knew. Who was he supplying? He was the kind of man who’d have no qualms about snatching young girls off the street, buying them off trains, or selling them.
He was also the kind of man who would have no problem persuading lonely spinsters to leave their comfortable worlds and embark on a journey to a place he described as wonderful and wild. A place where they would build a future and share all sorts of amazing experiences. At least, that was the picture he’d painted for Nora.
Lilly doubted he had much formal education, but he was just the type of man who made up for that with cleverness. He was also immoral and persuasive enough to pull off something like the mail-order bride deception, especially since it was done long distance. Yes. If nothing else, Lilly had him pegged for that.
She paced and chewed her bottom lip and worried for more than an hour before she saw Cade loping toward her from a different direction than she’d expected him. He looked unharmed, and she sighed in relief.
His shirt was wet with sweat, and his face was red. Breathing hard, he reached the buggy and fumbled beneath the seat for the canteen of water, downing at least half of it. Then he poured the remainder over his head. She waited, knowing that he’d speak when he was able.
“They were inside the cabin,” he said at last.
“Who is ‘they’?”
“Would you believe me if I told you it was Elijah Wilkins?”
Lilly stared at him, speechless. “Why on earth would the two of them be meeting in secret? They’re supposed to be on opposite sides of the law.”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? I’d guess they don’t want anyone knowing they’re conducting some sort of business, since they are on opposite sides of the law.”
Lilly gave a soft snort of laughter. “With what we’ve heard about the marshal, that’s debatable. How close did you get?”
“One of the windows was broken out, so I took a page from Robbie’s book and—”
“You didn’t sneak inside!”
He gave a weary laugh. “I don’t think the cabin would have been big enough for the three of us. No. I just stood next to the window. I could hear every word they said.”
“And?”
“Despite what Wilkins and Davies are telling Erin, Velvet and Rosalie are worried that she’ll start up a business that will put theirs to shame. And Wilkins said he wasn’t sure Erin would go along with paying for protection. He told Davies she was a snooty whore and thought she was better than the rest of them.”
“What did Davies say about that?”
“That if she didn’t pay, she wouldn’t last long. Everyone pays. One way or the other. They pay for everything.”
She saw his blue eyes darken. “What?”
“Wilkins told him not to worry about it. That he’d see to it that Erin paid. And soon.”
Maybe it was just a statement, but Lilly thought it sounded a lot like a warning. Or a threat.
* * *
Considering the information Cade had gleaned, they decided to go back to Dusty’s. On the drive back to town, they discussed the significance of Wilkins and Davies’s conversation.
“Maybe they aren’t connected,” Lilly said. “Everyone in town has implied that if you want to stay in business, you ante up to Davies on a regular basis. Maybe Wilkins just wanted to let him know that Erin might not be so agreeable.”
“Then why come all the way out here? He could have told Velvet or Rosalie, and they could have passed it on.” Cade shook his head. “No, one of them had something else on his mind, and I missed it. They’d been there for a while.”
“How could you tell?”
“I risked a peek. Thank heaven neither of them was sitting facing the window. They’d been drinking coffee. Wilkins kept yawning and rubbing his eyes and saying how tired he was. Davies said that if the scratches on his face were any indication, he must have had a tough night.”
An image of Erin inflicting those scratches leaped into Lilly’s mind, and she closed her eyes to block it out.
Cade swore beneath his breath. “I’d love to know what they were talking about before I got there.”
“So would I.” She glanced over at him. “Will you tell Erin what they said?”
“Of course, I will. She’s my sister. I don’t want anything happening to her.”
“If it hasn’t already.”
Cade shot her a sharp look. “What do you mean?”
“It was very late when she came in last night,” Lilly offered. “Or this morning.”
“Holy Mother of Pearl!” he grated, reverting to the phrase he and Robbie had adopted when they were upset about something and didn’t want to curse in front of someone. “I thought she said . . .”
“Calm down, McShane! I’m not saying anything happened, but I can’t tell you it didn’t. Erin is very smart, and she’s accustomed to handling all sorts of unruly men. I think she’d be extra careful after what Mr. Paddock said about Wilkins.”
“What did he say?”
“That Wilkins would cut his own mother’s throat if she got in his way. Erin seemed genuinely troubled.”
“As well she should be.”
* * *
Despite having been up until all hours the previous evening, Erin was having a cup of coffee and eating a slice of the buttered bread with a little jam when Cade and Lilly returned. Though she seemed a bit subdued at first, the moment they spoke to her, she looked up with her usual, derisive smile. “Well, you children certainly missed your curfew, now didn’t you?”
“I thought that was you,” Cade said before Lilly had time to think of a snappy rejoinder.
“It’s a little late to be getting so protective, don’t you think, Cadence?”
Lilly had heard enough! She had no siblings, but she wanted to think
that if she did, she would not alienate them because of something that had happened in the past. Erin and Cade were family, and they should care enough about one another that nothing this side of the grave could separate them. Lilly would have given anything to have known the baby who had died when her mother was murdered. She would give anything to be able to visit with Pierce and Rose, to ask their opinions on the case and hear the love in their voices.
“Stop it, you two!” The sharpness of her voice cut through their caustic banter like a hot knife through butter. “I don’t know what the problem is between you, but I think it’s time to discuss it as two grown people, and not like schoolyard children who’ve had their feelings hurt.”
Erin looked stunned by the outburst.
McShane glared at her. “How many times have I told you, colleen, that you need to keep your nose out of my business?”
“I’d love to, if you didn’t insist on conducting it in front of me!” she shot back. “Now both of you shut up unless you have something to say about the case.”
Cade glared at her, a look in his eyes that said he would like to thrash her. She drew herself up to her full height and looked from one McShane to the other. “I’m going to get some coffee,” she said in her most genteel voice. “Would you care for some, McShane? We have a lot to discuss.”
He didn’t speak, but answered with a single nod. “Good,” she said. “Now sit down and behave until I get back.”
After fetching the coffee, she stood in the doorway for a moment looking at two of the most stubborn people she’d ever met. They were sitting there, studiously avoiding looking at each other. To her surprise, Cade looked properly chastised. Erin looked heartsick. Exhaling a weary breath, Lilly carried the cups to the table and sat one in front of her partner.
He glanced up and met her eyes. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” She took her seat and sipped at the dark brew. “Did you tell Erin what we saw on our way to practice?”
“No.”
Lilly turned to his sister and began to relate what they’d seen on their way to the river. Erin listened intently. When Lilly got to the part about Wilkins’s “tough night,” she saw a strange expression cross Erin’s face. Lilly deliberately left out the part where he’d claimed Erin would pay. Cade was supposed to break that news to her.
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