The Chapel Car Bride

by Judith Miller

  The preacher arched his brows. “Any ideas?”

  Before Luke could answer, the railroaders who’d been working inside the railcar appeared, with Jed King taking the lead. “I think we done about all we can. You’ll need to get things organized a might better, Miss Hope.” He shifted around toward her father. “I’ll send some wood over so you can board up the broken windows, Preacher.”

  “Thanks for your help, fellows. I trust you’ll all be back for the preaching tonight?”

  “We’ll be here,” several of them called as they headed back toward the roundhouse.

  Luke hunched forward. “I do have an idea about who might have been angry enough to do this.”

  The preacher nodded. “Who’s that, Luke?”

  “Jasper Rollins and Mort Smalley have been pushing hard for a strike ever since the cave-in. I know it couldn’t have been Mort ’cause he’s still having trouble with his arm, but Jasper’s rough as a corncob so I wouldn’t put it past him. He and Kirby were in a ruckus just the other day over the conditions in one of the tunnels. I think I’ll go find Jasper and see where he was this afternoon.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” Hope’s father said. “Maybe I should come with you.”

  Luke shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I think Jasper would be unwilling to talk if anyone else is along. Besides, I think Hope could use some help inside.” He motioned toward the roundhouse. “Looks like Jed’s got some wood he’s bringing over, too. I think you’ll be plenty busy right here. I’ll stop back after I talk to Jasper. Maybe you’ll find those notes for tonight’s sermon while you’re going through the papers.”

  The preacher chuckled. “We’ll do our best.”

  As Luke ambled back toward town, he decided he’d stop at the mine before going up the hill. Maybe Jasper had been working all day. If so, it would rule him out as the culprit. Besides, Luke could try to find out what had happened to Kirby after the explosion. Maybe he’d hightailed it, figuring there might be another detonation. Yet he’d given no thought to Hope before he’d run off. For a man who was supposed to be capable of running a mining company, Kirby sure acted more like a coward than a leader.

  Luke strode toward several young men who were picking coal near the mine entrance. “Hey, fellas. I’m lookin’ for Jasper. He in one of the tunnels or is he off today?”

  Two large white eyes peered at him from a face layered in coal dust. “Ain’t seen nothin’ of Jasper today.” The boy’s flesh-colored lips and pink tongue appeared strangely out of place as he spoke.

  “You sure?” Luke said.

  Another young man looked up and bobbed his head. “We always know when Jasper’s around. If he’s at work, he’s tryin’ to get everyone riled up. Been pretty quiet today, so you kin be sure he ain’t here.”

  Luke turned to leave and then stopped. “You seen anything of Mr. Finch today?”

  “Ain’t seen nothing of him neither, but he could be in the office. Don’t never see him down here lessin’ there’s a problem.”

  “Thanks.” Luke headed toward the office. He’d at least ask about Kirby before he went up the hill to locate Jasper. He pulled open the door, stepped into the hallway, and stopped outside Mr. Farragut’s door.

  The older man looked up from his ledgers. “Luke? Something I can do for you?”

  Luke glanced toward the office down the hallway. “I was wondering if Mr. Finch was in today. I wanted to speak to him about something.”

  Mr. Farragut shook his head. “I can’t tell you where he is. If it’s important, you could stop by the boardinghouse. I wouldn’t think he’s there, but I can’t say for certain.” His brow creased. “Is the truck out there? He might be on one of those trips he makes with the preacher’s daughter.”

  “I’m not sure about the truck, but he’s not with the preacher’s daughter. Thanks, Mr. Farragut.” Luke tipped his hat. “If he returns . . .”

  “I’ll tell him you were looking for him.” Mr. Farragut smiled and picked up his pen again.

  Luke spotted the company truck parked in its usual place when he exited the office. No telling where Kirby might be. And he wasn’t going to stop at the boardinghouse—speaking to Jasper was more important.

  He climbed the hill quickly and went directly to the Rollins house. After he’d rapped several times on the rickety door, Jasper’s young wife appeared. She pushed the hair off her forehead, then swiped her hands down the front of a smudged apron. She squinted against the afternoon sun as she pushed open the screen door. “What kin I do fer ya, Luke?”

  “I’m looking for Jasper.” Luke nodded toward the interior of the house. “He in there?”

  “No. He should be out in the garden. If not, he’s in the woods somewhere. I ain’t too sure. You kin go back there and see fer yerself, if ya want.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.” He rounded the house and walked the short distance to Jasper’s garden plot. He was about to leave when he caught sight of Jasper in a distant cornfield. He yanked off his hat and waved it overhead. “Jasper!”

  Jasper turned, shaded his eyes with his hand, and waved in return. As Luke approached, Jasper stepped to the edge of the field. “What you needin’, Luke?”

  “Guess you know about the dynamite explosion over at the railroad spur earlier today.” Luke waited, hoping Jasper’s response would give some hint that he’d been involved.

  Jasper shook his head. “Naw, ain’t heard nothin’. Too bad it weren’t Kirby’s truck—with Kirby in it.” He guffawed and spit tobacco juice.

  The fact that he’d mentioned Kirby set off a silent alarm. “You sure you weren’t down near the rail spur earlier today?”

  “I said I weren’t. I ain’t got no cause to be at the railroad spur. It’s you that’s always sniffin’ around that chapel car, tryin’ to have a fling with that city gal.”

  “And it’s you that’s always talking about hurting Kirby Finch. Who do you think was in that chapel car when the dynamite went off, Jasper?”

  “Dunno, and don’t care. But since ya asked like that, I’m guessin’ Kirby was there.”

  Luke lurched toward him, his anger flaring. “That’s right. And so was Hope. You could have killed her. If I hadn’t gotten to that dynamite before it exploded, you’d have killed her right along with Kirby.”

  “Whoa!” Jasper placed his large hand against Luke’s chest. “Hold up, Luke. I weren’t never off the hill today. You can ask around. I was over at Junior Harding’s all mornin’, and I been out here in the garden ever since. You check around. There’s plenty of folks seen me up here, and you ain’t gonna find a soul that can say I was anywhere else.”

  Luke drew a deep breath and forced down his anger. Jasper appeared to be telling the truth. Besides, it would be easy enough to check out his story. He couldn’t have made it down the hill and over to the spur without someone seeing him come through town.

  Jasper wiped the perspiration from his forehead and met Luke’s stare. “I understand you being all fired up about that woman being hurt, but you need to look somewhere else. There’s a whole bunch of folks who’d like to see Kirby dead or gone, and most don’t care which it is. That man’s got a long list of enemies and a short list of friends.” He gave Luke a pat on the shoulder. “You been knowin’ me a long time, Luke. I ain’t one to mince words or raise my fists, but I ain’t no liar. I had nothin’ to do with whatever happened today.”

  Luke considered his words before finally nodding. But if Jasper wasn’t the one who set off the dynamite, then who was?

  Hope gathered the stacks of papers the men had piled onto the table and sifted through them while Jed helped her father board up the broken windows. Weary from her chore, she stood and walked into the sanctuary, where the two men were still hard at work.

  She pointed to the door. “I’m going outside to pick up the pieces of glass around the car. Some of the children don’t wear shoes. I don’t want anyone to get cut.”

  After retrieving an empty box, Hop
e stepped down from the car. Pieces of glass sparkled in the bright afternoon sun. One by one, she gathered them into the cardboard box and continued to move along the spur. She’d gone only a short distance when she noticed a piece of dark blue printed fabric clinging to a bush not far from the tracks. Her brow furrowed as she drew closer. It appeared to be a man’s handkerchief. She leaned down and pulled it from a thorny spike on the bush. Could this have belonged to the person who set off the dynamite? It was close to the spot where the lit fuse had been. She dropped it into the box with the shards of glass. Maybe it would prove helpful.

  She’d ask Luke as soon as he returned. She turned and looked at the chapel car. Having been tattered by the explosion, it seemed to fit better in Finch now. She felt an odd kinship to the chapel car. She, too, felt battered tonight. The events of the day had not only bruised her body, but had also bruised her heart. Finch—the miners, the railroaders, the wives, the children, Nellie, and of course Luke—had become her home.

  So who in her home had almost killed her?

  CHAPTER

  25

  With Blue at his side and his shotgun over his shoulder, Luke returned to the chapel car a couple of hours later. His eyes widened and he smiled at Hope when he stepped inside. “You sure made short work of the mess that was in here. I thought it would take the rest of the day to clean up. You even got all the broken windows boarded up.”

  “Jed King helped Papa with that chore. I can’t take all the praise for cleaning up. If the railroaders hadn’t done so much work before I returned inside, I’d still be sorting through papers.” She gestured to a nearby chair. “Sit down and tell me about Jasper. Is he the one who set the dynamite?”

  Luke shook his head and told her what he’d discovered. “I believe Jasper’s story. I stopped and asked a few folks on the hill and in town if they’d seen Jasper during the morning hours. Lots of the womenfolk said they’d seen him up on the hill, but I didn’t find one soul who’d seen him in town. By the time I came back down the hill, I was sure he hadn’t done it, but then I decided to go ahead and ask around in town just to be sure.”

  “I’m glad to know Jasper didn’t do it, but . . .”

  Luke nodded. “I know. It sure is a quandary. I don’t know which direction to go now.”

  Hope pointed to the box of broken glass she’d carried inside. “I had time to go outside and gather the pieces of broken glass from around the rail spur.” She bent over the box and, using her thumb and forefinger, picked up the bandanna she’d recovered and held it in front of her.

  Luke’s brows dipped low. “Why’s that in there?”

  “I found it on a bramble bush near the spur. Is it yours?”

  “No, but there’s quite a few men who wear those squares around their necks when they go into the mine. ’Course some use them as a handkerchief, too. Nothing unusual about it.”

  “Except that it was on a bush near the spur.”

  “Right.” Luke sat down and continued to stare at the bandanna. “No doubt it belonged to whoever lit that fuse, but unless it’s got some initials or a name stitched on the edge, it ain’t gonna be any help to us.”

  A small flock of birds settled in a nearby tree, and Blue barked a loud objection. Hope leaned forward and looked out the window. “Blue!” The dog ignored her and continued to bark.

  Luke chuckled. “Won’t do any good to holler at him. He won’t be happy till those birds are gone.”

  “No! I wasn’t trying to quiet him.” Her eyes widened. “Blue can follow a trail when you’re out hunting. Could he sniff this handkerchief and maybe find the culprit who lit the dynamite?”

  Luke slapped a hand to his forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that? Can’t say for sure if he’ll be able to track the fella, but it’s worth a try.” He reached to take the handkerchief from her, but she pulled back her hand.

  “I’m going with you.”

  “That’s not a good idea, Hope. Let me take Blue, and you stay here where you’ll be safe. I promise to come back once I take him out huntin’ for the culprit.” He stood with his hand still extended toward her.

  “You’re not going to leave me behind, Luke. I promise to be quiet and do whatever you tell me, but I’m going along. It was me that almost got blown up in this railcar, and it’s my idea to use Blue. If you refuse, I’ll still follow behind, so you should go ahead and agree.”

  “You are one ornery, determined gal.” He grinned. “Maybe that’s why I love you.”

  She chuckled. “I hope you love more than my orneriness.”

  He nodded. “Yep. I said you’re determined, too.” He turned toward the door. “If there’s no changing your mind, I guess we should get going.” Luke followed her out the door, then stopped to untie Blue. “You going to give me that handkerchief so I can have Blue sniff it or are you thinking that’s your job, too?” He tipped his head and smiled up at her.

  “I’ll let you take charge of Blue and his sniffing. I’ll just follow along and do what you say.”

  “I’m gonna remember you said that.” He held the fabric beneath Blue’s nose and waited while the dog sniffed. “Go find him, Blue!” The dog’s nose went to the ground, and the two of them followed as he moved to the position on the rail spur and then turned. Whenever Blue stopped, Luke would offer another smell of the bandanna, and the dog would begin once again to search out the scent.

  At first, Luke thought the dog was going to the mine, but he turned and ambled into the woods instead, toward the still that Luke and the preacher had recently discovered. Luke’s heart began pounding. He’d been certain that still belonged to Kirby, but Kirby had been in the railcar so he couldn’t have lit the fuse to the dynamite. Who else would be brave enough to set up a still in the woods behind the mining office? Maybe Blue was following the scent. Maybe he was onto a rabbit or coon trail.

  The dog continued deeper into the woods, still heading toward the location of the still. Luke stopped and turned to face Hope. “If Blue keeps going in this direction, we’re going to come upon the still your pa and I discovered. That means it’s dangerous for you to go any farther. Either we turn back or you stay here.” When she hesitated, he frowned. “I mean it, Hope. I won’t go any deeper in there unless you agree to stay right here.”

  She nodded. “Blue might not be able to find the scent if you have to wait until tomorrow. I’d rather go with you, but I’ll do as you ask.”

  Luke sighed. “Thank you.” He lifted the shotgun from his shoulder and extended it in her direction. “I’m leaving this with you.”

  “But I . . .”

  “It’s loaded. If you’re in danger, fire the gun. Blue and I will come runnin’.”

  “I was going to say that I think you need to keep the gun with you. You’re in more danger than me.”

  Luke shook his head. “I’ll be just fine. Keep your eyes and ears open, and I’ll get back soon as I can.” Fear shone in her eyes, and Luke leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “We’re both gonna be fine. I’ll be back in no time. I’ll whisper your name when I get close, so don’t shoot me.”

  Hope gave a lopsided smile. “I promise.”

  He headed off with Blue on the scent. The dog continued to guide Luke toward the still. Worried the dog would be heard if someone was at the still, Luke commanded Blue to stay behind. Edging closer, Luke stopped when several voices drifted toward him. Careful of his step, he crept behind a stand of trees where he’d be able to hear the conversation.

  He held his breath and listened. Kirby! He was positive one of the voices belonged to Kirby, but who were the other two? They both sounded familiar, yet he couldn’t place either of them.

  The men’s voices elevated, the conversation turning angry. Kirby accused someone of being a turncoat, and then a deep voice responded, “He ain’t no turncoat. He’s one of us and he done the right thing. You got no business cashin’ in on moonshine. Your pappy can buy and sell half the state and you come to these here hills and think you need to ma
ke money offa shine. I’m tellin’ ya, that ain’t gonna happen no more, Kirby. I’ll see ya dead and buried first.”

  “You’re the one who set that dynamite at the chapel car, aren’t you? You thought you’d get rid of me earlier today.”

  “I’m the one all right, and this would have been a lot easier if you woulda jest died like I planned.”

  “You didn’t tell me you was gonna dynamite the chapel car.”

  Luke frowned. This third voice wasn’t as deep, more like a younger fella.

  “Shut up, Jimmy Ray,” the man with the deeper voice barked. “I told you I’d take care of things and that’s what I’m doing.”

  And taking care of things apparently meant taking care of Kirby. Since the man had failed earlier, did he intend to finish the task now? Sensing Kirby’s danger, Luke inched forward. Maybe he should have brought his gun along. The thought passed through his mind only seconds before his foot slipped on the damp moss.

  A branch cracked.

  A gunshot rang out.

  Hope startled at the gunfire. She held tight to the shotgun and rushed toward the sound. Luke! Had he been shot? More than anything, she needed to remain calm and keep her wits about her. She heard Blue yelp, followed by a man’s harsh voice. The dog began to whine. Keeping low, she picked her way toward the sound. Once certain she was close enough to see, she stooped down and peeked through the thick brush. She covered her mouth to hold back a gasp.

  Kirby was bound to a tree. Luke and a boy she recognized as Jimmy Ray Malloy were digging a hole while a larger man wearing a slouch hat trained a gun on Luke. Blue whined louder, and she caught sight of him tied near the still.

  The large man holding the weapon turned on the dog. “Shut up, dawg, or I’ll put ya outta yer misery.”

  The man swung around and pushed the slouch hat away from his forehead. Hope stifled a scream. Carl Lee Williams. Folks on the hill said Carl Lee was mean as a bear with newborn cubs. Her hands turned clammy on the stock of the shotgun. He’d threatened to shoot Blue, and she didn’t doubt he’d do so. Would he do the same to Luke and Kirby? Her body trembled. Her thoughts skittered and her heart hammered in her chest. She needed to do something, but what? Maybe she should run back to town and get help. Could she possibly thwart Carl Lee by herself? She feared leaving Luke, but she also feared attempting to save him without the backing of several large men with guns. Her decision made, she slowly stood and turned in the direction of town.