“So, someone did it to ya? Is that what yer sayin’?”
“Yes.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does when it has to do with Glenna’s death. Glenna’s murder.”
“Leave Glenna out of your story. Glenna was pure and good, and—”
“—and I’m just your slut of a sister trying to make up some tale so that you’ll feel sorry for me, is that it?”
He shook his head. Torment filled his blue eyes. “I don’t know what you’re doin’.”
“I’m tryin’ to set the record straight as Seamus always says. And I mean to get all the horridness out in the open, so that maybe the two of us can move past it. There are things ya don’t know, brother.” As she spoke, her voice grew softer, almost pleading.
When he made no reply, she continued, “You blame me for Glenna’s death, and rightly so, but I meant her no harm. Ya must know I’d never hurt the person my brother loved the most in this world.”
Cade looked at her ravaged face, as if to gauge whether or not she was telling him the truth. “Then tell me what happened. Tell me what I don’t know about that day.”
“You know that MacKenzie Daily was takin’ care of me then.”
Cade nodded. He had sent Mac’s brother, Roscoe, to prison for his involvement with a gang that had robbed several trains and killed a couple of passengers during the course of the robberies.
When he’d found out about Erin’s taking up with Mac, he’d considered it nothing more than another way his sister was thumbing her nose at him, the family, and the world.
“At the time, I thought he was just another guy, but that wasn’t the case at all. After a while, I realized that he was pumping me for information about you. Where you were working, where you lived, that sort of thing. Of course, I didn’t tell him.”
“Then how did he find out so he could burn down my house and kill my wife?”
Erin’s already pale face turned as white as the proverbial sheet. “I told him, but not willingly. That day, he came, and he was really upset about something. He didn’t waste any time. He asked me outright where you lived. When I refused to say, he decided to use his knife to make me more ‘agreeable,’ as he put it.”
“Are you telling me that Mac Daily cut your wrists?”
“Yes. But not quick. Slow and painful.” She licked her lips, and her violet eyes grew dark with memories. “At first it was just a prick, a little cut, and when I still wouldn’t talk, he moved to the other wrist and did the same thing. He told me that I was going to sit in my chair and bleed to death, and that everyone would think it was because I’d grown tired of my pitiful life. Every time I refused to tell him, he made the cuts larger, until I finally gave in.”
Tears slid down her face, and she swiped at them in anger, but her gaze was unwavering. She was determined to take the blame and punishment she felt she deserved. “There was so much blood, and, despite what you may believe, Cade, I wanted to live. I really did.”
He couldn’t speak. He was too immersed in the revelations. Yet despite the bizarreness of the tale, something about it rang true. He had an extensive background with the Daily boys, and the fact that they had a ruthless streak when it came to getting what they wanted was common knowledge. So, while Erin’s tale sounded far-fetched, Cade knew it was just the sort of thing they’d pull.
“I was so worried after he left. I had no idea what was on his mind, but I knew it wouldn’t be good. I went next door to Mrs. McCutcheon’s and asked if she’d get me some help. And then I passed out. There were some men fixing potholes in the street. They took me to the hospital.” A sudden sob burst from her. “I’m sorry, Cade. I’m so sorry.”
She was asking for his forgiveness. Forgiveness for bringing shame to herself and the family. And for causing Glenna’s death in trying to save her own life. Could he give it? Could he blame her for putting her life ahead of Glenna’s?
No. Sweet heaven above, Erin had suffered enough. And for a long time. It was in his power to relieve her of at least part of her pain. As he’d said, it wasn’t his place to judge her for how she’d lived her life. It was his place as her big brother to be there for her.
As for her blaming herself for her part in Glenna’s death . . . well, hadn’t he done the same thing? Wasn’t that why he’d turned to drinking? To forget his guilt?
“That’s why I couldn’t let anything happen to Lilly.”
He’d been so lost in thought that he didn’t make the connection. “I’m not following you.”
“I shot Eli because I knew that if I let anything happen to her, it would be my fault.”
“That isn’t true!” Lilly said, speaking for the first time.
“Isn’t it?”
“No. It would have been my fault for going there.”
“Why did you?”
Lilly shrugged. “I was doing my job. Trying to get to you before anything happened, but I was too late.”
“You put yourself in danger because of me. I couldn’t let anything happen to you, because I knew that if it did, Cade would never forgive me, and I would never forgive myself. Don’t you see, Lilly? I couldn’t be responsible for him losing a woman he cares for. Not again.”
CHAPTER 25
Lilly and Cade left soon afterward to head back to the jail, but not before Cade and his sister had cried in each other’s arms and begged for each other’s forgiveness. She knew that as hard as the past half hour had been for them both, it was long past due. Something she felt would give them a sense of healing and a new perspective on their present situations.
Lilly hoped that knowing the truth would set Cade free of the burden of blame he’d placed on his sister and the torment he’d suffered. Maybe now, he could put the past in its proper place and look to the future, the way she was trying to do.
For the first time in months, she wondered what her future did hold. Since signing with the Pinkertons, she’d spent almost every waking minute involved in one assignment or another. In some ways that was good. It left little time to dwell on the past or dream of the future. But, with Erin’s comment still ringing in her ears, Lilly couldn’t help wondering if there was any significance to Erin’s statement. Had she meant that Cade felt something for her? Something as strong as what he’d felt for Glenna?
The possibility stole her breath. No! He had made his love for his wife known in hundreds of ways over the past months, and he’d also made it clear that he had no desire for another woman.
While it was true that their initial annoyance at being forced to work together had faded, and they’d grown more comfortable as they got to know each other, that’s all it was. A solid working relationship and respect for each other’s skills. Spending so much time together was bound to have eased their initial tensions. Any partners would feel the same thing.
“I feel as if I’ve gone ten rounds in the ring.”
She glanced over at him. He looked it, too. She knew he was referring to the gutted, empty feeling left behind after going through an emotional upheaval.
“You’ll feel better tomorrow.”
He glanced over at her. “I already feel as if a weight has been taken off my shoulders.”
“Refusing to forgive is a heavy burden to carry,” she told him. “And believe me, the forgiveness will do you as much good as it does Erin. I only hope she can forgive herself.”
“Me too.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe that Josep . . .” He couldn’t finish the sentence. “Now that I know what he did to her, her choices make more sense, as bad as they were.” He cursed beneath his breath and faced Lilly with a look of self-loathing. “Why didn’t I see it? I should have suspected something.”
“Oh, no you don’t! You’re not going to rid yourself of one blame and take on another. Pierce told me that we can’t solve every crime. We can’t right every wrong. All we can do is give it our best. We’re not perfect.”
He glanced at her for a second, then he seemed to throw off his me
lancholy, and his rare, impudent smile appeared as he gave his attention back to the street. “Speak for yourself, colleen.”
Who could resist that smile? Who could resist him when he turned on his not inconsiderable charm? Not Lilly Long; however, she would be smart to remember that he was able to turn it on and off at will.
Her reply was a sharp jab in the ribs with her elbow.
He laughed and tucked her hand around his arm. “I just can’t believe she kept all of it from us for so long.”
“She didn’t want to hurt you.” Lilly grinned, wanting to keep the moment light. “Maybe she was trying to keep you boys out of jail.”
His lips twisted into the semblance of a smile. “If I’d known, I’d have beaten Josep within an inch of his life.” Cade glanced over at her once more. “Do you think he’d have done anything to me if she’d told me?”
She shook her head. “You were little more than a boy, and I don’t know anything about Josep. Erin believed him. That’s all that matters.”
Cade pulled the buggy into a space in front of the marshal’s office and tied the reins to the hitching post. Cade asked the sheriff if he would take his men to get a bite to eat so that Cade and Lilly could interview the prisoner in private. They were happy to do so.
Elijah Wilkins was locked in one of the cells, lying on the cot with his hands folded behind his head. He was still bare-chested, and, when he turned to see who’d come, Lilly noticed that the cocky expression she’d hated the first night she’d met him was still in his eyes. Wordlessly, he swung his feet to the floor and sat on the bunk, facing them with a challenging look.
Cade pulled a chair in front of the cell door and spun it around on one leg, straddling it and placing his arms across the back. “Did they give you anything to eat?”
“Why?” Wilkins shot back. “Are you concerned for my well-being?”
“Not particularly. I’m just doing my job. Are you ready to talk?”
“Why should I?”
“Because you’re in a world of trouble. If you don’t talk, someone will, now that they know you’re in custody. That’s how it works here, isn’t it? Everyone covers his own tracks?”
Lilly could almost see the wheels turning in Wilkins’s brain as he weighed the pros and cons of talking, picking and choosing just what to say and how much. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know if you provide women for Velvet and Rosalie exclusively, or for whomever has a need.”
“As long as I get the best deal, I’ll sell to anyone,” he said. “That’s good business.”
“You’re a lowlife who deals in human flesh! Innocent women and children!” Lilly cried, unable to stand there and witness his callous disregard.
Cade motioned for her to stay out of it. “Are you the one behind the mail-order bride arrangement, or did you just work it for someone else?” he asked.
“It was my idea, and it was a good one, don’t you think? I had no idea there were so many unhappy women back East looking for something different. Wanting to see more of America . . . wanting to find a good man and have a passel of kids.”
“You had Monty write your letters,” Lilly stated, forcing herself to a calm she was far from feeling.
“Sure did. They couldn’t have read my hen scratching.”
Lilly refrained from telling him she knew he couldn’t read or write. There was no sense stooping to childish behavior. “Nora Nash was my friend.”
“Who?”
Rage settled over her. Dark and biting rage. Nora had meant so little to him, just one of many, that he didn’t even know which one she was.
“Nora Nash. The actress.”
Was that a hint of recognition in his eyes?
“Oh, yeah. That cute little spitfire with the curly hair. Now she was something else.”
“She’s dead.” Cade’s voice was as cold as ice.
“Yeah, you said that before,” Wilkins said with a sorrowful nod. “Too bad. I liked her.”
“And you had nothing to do with it.”
“Nope.”
“What happens when someone turns on you and says you did?”
Wilkins stood and approached the cell door, walking that swaggering walk, wearing that smug look. “Then that person would be a liar. I didn’t kill her. I’m not denyin’ I roughed her up some a time or two, but that’s part of the job, you know? I just do what I’m told.”
“What about the attack by all those cowboys?” Cade pressed. “Do ya know anything about that?”
“I didn’t order it.”
“Who did?”
“How do I know? You may not believe it, but I’m not in on everything that goes on in this town. I strongly suspect it was Velvet or Rosalie, and my guess would be Velvet. Your friend caused a lot of trouble when she started spouting all that Jesus stuff.” He laughed. “I’ve never seen two madder whores in my life than Rosie and Velvet.”
There was a noise behind them.
Cade and Lilly turned. Sam Davies stood in the doorway, taking in the scene with a troubled expression. She could only imagine what must be running through his mind.
“Miss Long. Mr. McShane.”
Cade gave him a nod of greeting. “Marshal.”
“What in blazes are you doing here, Sam?” Wilkins snarled.
“This is my office,” Davies reminded him. Then, addressing Cade, he said, “I was in Dallas most of the day. Imagine my surprise when I heard the sheriff had been summoned to my territory. Then, the first thing I hear when I get back is that Eli has been arrested. I’d like to know by whose authority.”
Lilly produced her badge from her handbag, and Cade pulled his from his inner coat pocket. Davies examined them closely. “You’re both Pinkerton agents?”
“We are.”
“I’ve never heard of a woman Pinkerton before.”
“Well, you have now,” Lilly said. “Perhaps you should sit down, Marshal. I’m sure Agent McShane has a few questions for you.”
“Me? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the law around here. Not a criminal.”
“You can spout your innocence from now ’til doomsday, but it hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that you’re pretty easy on some of the madams. From what we’ve seen, most of them should be shut down, but they aren’t. Why is that, Marshal? A little payment at the first of the month?”
Davies’s face flamed. Embarrassment or bluster? “How dare you question my ethics!”
“I’m not questioning them,” Cade said, shaking his head. “Not at all. I’m tellin’ ya that everyone knows that’s your game.”
“Tell me, Marshal. What does it cost to get away with murder?” Lilly taunted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
She strode right up to him, facing him with the full force of her wrath. “Really? How much time did you spend looking for Dottie’s killer? Or was she just one less poor, pitiful dove you had to deal with?”
Davies looked as if he’d like to choke the life from her. “How dare you come in here with all your high-and-mighty ways. You don’t know how hard it is to keep up with all the unrest in this town. If I tried to intervene in every grievance these women have with one another, I’d never get any peace.”
“Really?” She turned away from him and sauntered back toward the cell. “Maybe the job is too much for you, Marshal.” He opened his mouth to say something, but she turned and silenced him with a look. “We were just discussing my friend Nora’s convenient death with Mr. Wilkins when you arrived. Perhaps you can shed some light on the subject.”
She noted a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “Who is Nora?”
“She was a friend of mine who came here expecting to become Eli Wilkins’s wife and was sold into prostitution instead. Would you happen to know anything about those illegal activities?”
Davies remained silent, but Lilly could tell he was weighing his next words.
“I still have no idea who she is.”
Cade sp
oke up. “Do they mean so little to you, then, these women you’ve sworn to protect? Surely you remember Nora. She’s the one who was found shot in the head at Monty Newton’s place just days after she was accosted and raped by a gang of cowboys. Just two days after you spoke to her and she told you her suspicions about who’d arranged her attack.”
“That is a bit of a coincidence, don’t you think?” Lilly asked. “Wilkins says he didn’t do it. What about you, Marshal?”
“I had nothing to do with it!” Davies shouted. “And I resent your coming in here and acting as if I’m some sort of cold-blooded murderer!”
“Fine.” Lilly gestured toward the cell where Wilkins had gone back to his cot. “What’s your relationship with Mr. Wilkins?”
“We both work here in town.”
“What does he do?”
Wilkins leaped to his feet and grabbed the bars of the cell. “I’ll tell you what I do!” he said in a voice laced with defiance. “I do just what you said. I get women for the houses. I give them a thumping when one of the owners thinks their behavior needs adjusting.”
“And what about children?” Cade asked. “Do you find them for the perverted people who take their satisfaction from abusing them?”
“I have, on occasion.”
“And you have no problem with that?”
He shrugged. “I’m a businessman, and it’s just business.”
“You are a most disgusting man, Mr. Wilkins,” Lilly said. “Have you no sense of decency or morals?”
His mouth curved into an unconcerned smile. “Guess not.”
“If murder is on your list of orders, do you do it?” Cade asked.
“I’ve never been asked to.”
“Then you know nothing about Nora Nash’s shooting?”
“I beat her when she tried to run away, but I didn’t arrange for the boys to have a good time with her, and I didn’t kill her.”
Though there was no logical reason to do so, something in his tone made Lilly believe him. And, although he was slimy in his own way, she doubted that Davies had anything to do with it, either. He wouldn’t want to get his hands that dirty. He was the kind who just wanted to get by, take the easy way out, not cause any waves.
Murder Will Speak Page 21