So, if not Wilkins, who? Everything came back to Velvet. Nora had worked for her. Was it possible that when she took to the streets talking salvation and encouraging the girls to leave the life, Velvet had thought it might hurt her business? Had she ordered the rape to discourage Nora? Had she hoped she’d die from the abuse, and then, when she hadn’t and had told the marshal she knew who had arranged her ambush, had Velvet decided to silence her wayward employee once and for all?
“The Acre is a small community,” Cade said. “People talk. Someone in your position is bound to hear things. Let me remind you that you’re looking at a long time in prison for what you’ve been doing. If you know who was behind Nora Nash’s death, now would be the time to speak up.”
Wilkins thought on that for a while. “It was Rosalie.”
* * *
The sheriff and his deputies arrived and locked the stunned Davies into the cell next to Wilkins.
“A few more questions, and we’ll be finished for now,” Cade said to the deposed marshal. “We heard that you and Velvet were an item at one time and planned to get married. Is that true?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You never know when some unexpected piece of information can take things in a whole new direction.”
“We were.”
“What happened?”
One corner of Davies’s mouth lifted in a sarcastic smile. “Let’s just say that she wasn’t content to be the wife of a simple lawman. She wanted the finer things. And she objected to some of my . . . inclinations.”
Lilly shot a glance at a frowning Cade. She felt her chest tighten. “Children?”
“I prefer not to discuss it without legal representation.” Davies turned away, and Wilkins spoke up.
“I can answer that.”
“By all means, Mr. Wilkins, you do that,” she said.
“It wasn’t him, and, for the record, neither Velvet nor Rosie deal in kids. They don’t like complications. It’s a couple of the other places.”
“Would you please tell us what Velvet’s objections were to you?” Lilly asked, turning to Davies again.
“Ask her.”
“Fine. We will.” Lilly considered what he’d said, trying to get her mind around the unusual relationship. “Despite your breakup, you stayed nearby and helped her all you could.”
“Some feelings take a long time dying,” he said. “And sometimes they never do.”
Love was indeed a complicated emotion.
“What about Rosalie?” Cade asked. “We’ve heard the two of you share more than business interests.”
“Everyone needs someone, Agent McShane. When Velvet dumped me, Rosalie more than satisfied my needs.”
* * *
The sheriff left his deputies guarding the prisoners while he accompanied Lilly and Cade to the Silver Slipper to arrest Rosalie Padgett for the murder of Nora Nash.
Rosalie saw them the moment they walked through the front door. She turned a pasty white, but did not appear too surprised. No doubt the rumormongers were telling everyone within earshot about the Dallas sheriff being called in, and about seeing Wilkins handcuffed in the back of a wagon driven by that bodyguard fella from back East.
The trio headed straight for her. To her credit, she didn’t try to flee or retreat. Her steady gaze zeroed in on Cade and Lilly. “I knew the two of you and your other friend were up to something. I suppose you’re private investigators hired by Nora’s family.”
“Actually, Nora hired us to come and have a look at the abuse and corruption here before you killed her.” Cade pulled out his badge and tipped his head toward Lilly. “Miss Long is my partner.”
Rosalie couldn’t hide her shock. “Pinkertons! You’re both Pinkertons?”
“That’s right. Now the sheriff here would like to take you over to the jail.”
“Who squealed on me?”
Cade glanced around the room. You could have heard the legendary pin drop. Every eye was turned their way. “Wouldn’t you rather discuss this in private?”
She sighed. “Sure. Let’s go. Sam will get this straightened out in no time.”
“I don’t think so,” Cade said.
“You have Sam, too?” she asked in an incredulous voice.
“We do.”
Lilly watched Rosalie’s disbelief turn to anger. Without another word, the sheriff took her arm and led her out of the saloon.
Back at the jail, Lilly and Cade bade the sheriff good night and, leaving the rig tied to the hitching post till morning, they headed back to Dusty’s. It was well past midnight, and Lily couldn’t recall ever being so tired.
“So, we’re finished here?”
“More or less. It may take a day or two to tie up the loose ends, but you can telegraph William and tell him that we’ve found Nora’s murderer and we’ll be on a train headed back soon.”
Lilly heaved a loud sigh.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“I thought finding out who was behind the mail-order bride scam and who murdered Nora would make me feel different. Better.”
“What do ya mean?”
“I thought bringing the guilty parties to justice would make the pain go away . . . or lessen it somehow. But all it’s done is make me mad enough to shoot Rosalie myself.”
“I know how you feel. After they put Mac Daily away in the same prison as his brother for killing Glenna, I’d have gladly joined them there if I could have had ten minutes alone with them.”
“What did you do instead?”
The twist of his lips was supposed to be a smile, but failed. “I went to the gym and punched a bag until sweat blinded me and my hands were so bloody and sore I couldn’t use them for a week.”
“Really, McShane,” she said in her most severe tone, “that wasn’t very smart.”
His mouth curved in another of those wry smiles. “I would have to agree with you, Miss Long, even though it seemed like the thing to do at the time. You’ll soon learn that every case is peculiar in some way, and each one leaves you feeling different, but one other thing I’ve learned is that revenge is something best left to the courts. And God.”
“You know, McShane, sometimes your understanding of a situation surprises me.” They walked a block in silence. “It’s hard to believe that Davies claimed to love Velvet, but has something going on with Rosalie.”
“Why does that surprise you? These people have no morals, scruples, or anything related to decency. As for Velvet and Rosalie, it’s what they do, isn’t it? Sell their bodies?”
“I suppose,” she mused. “For some reason, I thought that, when you became a madam, you no longer had to indulge in that sort of thing.”
“I’m sure they don’t have to. If they do indulge, it’s for something besides money.”
“Like what?”
He chuckled. “If I need to explain, your Tim must have been lacking in the love department.”
Lilly snorted in disgust. During the short time she’d been with Timothy, she’d had no complaints about their intimacy. What she did find appalling was that he’d professed to love her, which had been a lie. He had also used their lovemaking as a system of punishment, reward, and bribery.
“Love has nothing to do with it.”
It was Cade’s turn to stop. “Ya can’t mean that?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then ye’re daft.”
“Daft? That’s rich, McShane. Can you honestly say that love played a part in your . . . physical conquests through the years?”
A long breath hissed from him. “I confess that you have me there. But when you do love someone, it’s . . . different. You’re different.”
She wondered if he was speaking of his love for Glenna, but refrained from asking. And then she wondered if she would ever experience what he was trying to explain.
They were almost back to Dusty’s, and then he asked, “How long do you think it will be before Erin can
travel?”
“A few days, I imagine. I’m sure the doctor can tell us.”
“Do you remember my telling Davies that one little piece of information can change everything?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t tell him that every word he’d said was imprinted into her mind.
“It’s true.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Erin. I always knew she’d told Mac where Glenna and I lived, and of course I blamed her for that, but finding out how he’d tortured her for the information made all the difference in how I looked at her part in the whole incident.”
“Judging is like revenge, McShane,” she said, curling her hand around his upper arm. “It’s best left to the courts and to God.”
CHAPTER 26
The conductor announced that the train would be reaching its destination in ten minutes, and, though Lilly was glad they were back in Chicago, she made no move to gather her things. Cade was sitting next to his sister, his arms folded across his chest, his head tipped back against the cushion, sleeping. Or pretending to.
Lilly had telegraphed William to tell him what had happened and then sent off a letter with more details. It was a tale that could not be told without recounting what Erin had suffered and how her abduction had led to Wilkins’s capture. Lilly knew her boss would want to hear the tale in full, probably the following day.
Though she and her partners had spent a lot of time discussing the case and the possible outcome, Erin had been less talkative on their return trip than she had been before. Lilly knew she’d asked the doctor to post a letter to someone, and, if possible, Erin’s sadness had seemed to worsen after that.
Lilly had tried to engage Cade’s sister in conversation many times, and while she was pleasant, she showed little interest in having a true conversation. She had lost her sparkle and the air of vitality that made her the center of everyone’s attention when she entered a room.
She had lost the essence of what made her Erin.
Once, when Lilly asked what her plans were when they returned, she’d said she had no idea, but that she didn’t plan to go back to her old job. At least that was a positive thing to come from her horrifying ordeal. She suspected that Cade’s forgiveness and the new, tentative bond they were forging had something to do with the decision.
When Lilly asked if the new avenue she’d mentioned pursuing involved a man, Erin had explained that the opportunity might no longer be available. An intriguing comment to say the least. Lilly couldn’t imagine what that path might be; however, she felt strongly that whatever Erin decided for her future, it would be with the help and support of the entire family.
As for herself, Lilly was glad to be back, though she didn’t know why. There was no one to welcome her, and she was not looking forward to returning to the small, cramped bedsitting room she called home between assignments. She really should make some friends outside her work, but how did a single lady go about doing that?
If she were careful with her funds, maybe she could start going to the theater on occasion. There were always book clubs, places where bluestockings met to discuss writings deemed too intellectual for the mere housewife. And art lessons. She’d always been quite good at drawing. And maybe she and Simon could go out for dinner now and again. That would be nice; he was the kind of man she could imagine in her future.
Part of her uneasiness had to do with her indecisiveness. Recalling her treatment of Henri Ducharme, and how she had wanted to shoot Elijah Wilkins and Rosalie for the horrible things they had done, made her wonder if she had what it took to be a Pinkerton.
This is exactly what Pierce meant when he told you the world outside the theater would eat you alive in a month.
Though it galled her to admit it, he’d been right. It had taken longer than his predicted month, but the longer she worked, the harder it became to separate herself from her experiences. Six months ago, she would never have wanted to shoot someone.
Oh, she knew she would never really do it, but the fact that it had crossed her mind was disturbing. It seemed that each case showed her a bit more of the evil in the world. She’d never realized how much ugliness was out there until she became an operative.
Still, there was good to be found. Like Mrs. Fontenot and her family in New Orleans, and Monty and Bonnie and Charlie in Ft. Worth. The thought of them made her smile. Before they’d left, Bonnie had told Lilly that she was leaving Velvet’s, and she and Charlie were getting married and moving to Oklahoma to start fresh.
Bonnie had found her knight in shining armor. Lilly was beginning to think hers had been killed in battle. The thought brought a reluctant smile to her lips despite the downward turn of her thoughts.
“A penny for them,” Cade said, leaning around his sister.
“I’m not sure they’re worth that much.”
Just then the train’s brakes began to screech, and the giant beast came to a grinding stop. “Don’t forget that William was supposed to let the family know we’re coming in today,” he told his sister. “I imagine they’ll want us all to meet at Seamus’s for supper. You too, Lilly.”
“I don’t know. . . .”
“C’mon, Lilly,” Erin said, speaking for the first time in more than an hour. “Maybe they’ll be so busy picking your brain about the assignment they’ll leave me alone.”
“Are you certain you want them to?” Lilly challenged.
Erin looked nervous. “It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together. I’m not sure what to expect.”
Lilly smiled. “A lot of hugs, I imagine.”
“C’mon, lassies, gather your things, and let’s get off this tin monster.”
Moments later, Lilly stood on the platform. She was looking around to see if she recognized anyone from Cade’s family in the crowd when she heard Erin’s gasp. Turning toward her friend, she saw that her gaze was fixed on a man standing beneath the eaves of the station. A tall, rather gangly man who stood shifting his weight from one foot to the other. A man dressed in a nice suit that looked as if he’d slept in it. A nice-looking man with a mop of messy blond hair and tortoiseshell glasses.
Simon?
What was he doing here? Had William sent him? Lilly started to take a step toward him, but at the last second, she realized he wasn’t looking at her. His anxious gaze was focused on Erin, who stood as still as a figurine except for the white handkerchief she was twisting in her fingers. She didn’t even seem to be breathing.
Simon and Erin? Was this the man Robbie meant when he said some swell had been around a lot? Was he the “lawyer” Erin had spoken of? Was it possible he was the change she’d foreseen in her future?
Simon finally made a move. He smiled. Perhaps the most magnificent smile Lilly had ever seen. It spoke of happiness, and love, and so much more. Erin smiled back. Tentatively, at first, and then, when he took a step toward her, she picked up her skirts and flew into his arms. He swung her around, forgetting his customary decorum, and they laughed together in pure joy.
Lilly felt the sting of tears and a suspicious tightening in her chest. It looked as if she would not be having any dinners with Simon unless Erin was along. Like Bonnie, Erin had found her knight.
Oh, well, Lil, you’d have made mincemeat of him in no time. The voice sounded familiar. Lilly could have sworn the thought came straight from Nora.
“Simon?” Cade’s incredulous voice came from behind her. “My sister and Simon Linedecker?”
“Love is a complicated emotion, McShane,” Lilly said, recalling Sam Davies’s remarks the night of his arrest.
“Obviously.” Still staring at the couple, he offered her his arm.
“I’m sending your bags to your room. Will the landlady accept them?”
“Yes. That’s fine.” She cast a look back at the lovers, who were smiling at each other in a rather silly fashion. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
“What?” he said, sounding rather grumpy.
“Erin and Simon.”
&nb
sp; “It happens every day.”
“Not to people like them,” she said. “Do you realize what this means?”
“That I’ll soon have a new passel of nieces and nephews, I imagine.”
“Wouldn’t that be great?”
“Not necessarily. Speaking of Erin, there hasn’t been a private moment for me to thank you.”
“For what?”
“It was a brave thing you did, going to try to help her that day at Wilkins’s. Dimwitted and unwise as usual, but very brave.”
She choked on a laugh. How very McShane. “Is that meant as a compliment?”
“Well, of course, it is!” he snapped, looking affronted. “What else would it be?”
“With you, it’s hard to tell.”
“You need to work on your street fighting,” he added. “It sounds as if you still fight like a girl, but I was impressed when you said you pulled Wilkins off the bed and banged his head on the floor.”
“Again, thank you, I think. And, in case you haven’t noticed, I am a girl.”
“Of course I’ve noticed.” To her dismay, there was not a single ounce of familiarity in his tone or manner. She was his partner, after all.
“At least you remembered your gun,” he noted. “That’s an improvement. But Wilkins did manage to take it away from you.”
“Please!” She didn’t know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. “Stop.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“I can’t take any more praise.”
“Aren’t you a strange lass?” he said, looking at her with a baffled expression. “We’re here anyway.”
EPILOGUE
Pinkerton Offices
Lilly and Cade arrived at the Pinkerton offices promptly at nine. As usual, Harris was pounding away on his Remington typewriter, doing whatever it was Harris did to help the agency run in a smooth, professional manner.
“Good morning, Harris,” they said almost in tandem.
“Miss Long. Agent McShane. I hear your trip to that terrible place—what is it called—?”
“Hell’s Half Acre,” Cade supplied.
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