The exquisite piece was Victorian looking but not in a reproduction-type way. It was an antique. The individual pieces of blue, violet and green glass had been intricately leaded to create flowering wisteria and vines.
There was no note, no card, no invoice, and the absence of anything identifying the sender was proof it had been Riley. Who else? And since it had been Riley, that meant the bribe had cost a small fortune.
She couldn’t keep it. She’d have to send it back. Or have it delivered to his address.
Lisa leaned the piece of glass up against the leg of a table, and the light from the front windows caught it. Colors spread across the wood floor and the wool rug like an incredible rainbow.
“How much does this suck?” she said to herself. “I get the first gift I’ve ever had from a man and I can’t keep it. And it’s really, really beautiful. And he knew I’d love it. The jerk.”
Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them away.
Several things still had to happen. She had to prove to Riley Douglas that she was not a pawn in his game. She had to come to some decisions on what she wanted for herself. And she still wanted to dispel the untruths about Lily.
First things first. Lisa waited until she knew school would be letting out and drove to the high school. Little had changed since her days there. The outside had been landscaped and a bricked common area created. Inside there were new display cases and the offices had been remodeled to all-window walls.
After checking at the office, she was directed to a second-floor room where Ben Saunders taught.
The man was in his sixties, his hair grayer and his middle thicker than when she’d taken his class. He was putting away books in an oak storage unit at the back of the room.
“Mr. Saunders?”
He blinked and took in her slim skirt and off-the-shoulder pink blouse before smiling. “Lisa Jane! Don’t you look just as pretty as all of your pictures. I’m surprised to see you here.”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“Well, sure. Have a seat.” He pulled out a wooden chair and gestured for her to take it. After she’d seated herself, he brought another and placed it across from her. “What’s on your mind?”
“I know you’re always involved with Heritage Day and the reenactments of Thunder Canyon history.”
“Oh, yes,” he replied. “I’m the chairman of the historical society’s publicity and ways-and-means committees.”
“And several people have mentioned that you’re often found at the Hitching Post telling stories about the first gold rush and the early town founders.”
He nodded. “There’s always a lot of interest in our town history.”
“Would you mind telling me the documented facts you know about Lily Divine Harding?” Lisa asked.
“Not at all. She operated the Shady Lady saloon. The operation did a booming business. It was one of three hurdy-gurdy houses in Thunder Canyon.”
“Hurdy-gurdy meaning…?”
“Well, that there were women available to dance and, er, entertain the men.”
“Do you know of any proof that Lily employed women as prostitutes? Are there letters? Arrests documented?”
He tapped a finger on his chin. “Actually, prostitution wasn’t illegal at that time. But there was an organization called the Women’s Temperance Prayer League. This group of the town’s leading ladies condemned and protested the existence of what they called the ‘dens of vice’ and had a mission to shut them down. There are a few old meeting flyers in the archives.”
“But those only prove that they were accusing the Shady Lady of being a den of vice. Has anything ever proven the fact?”
“Not to my knowledge,” he replied.
“I borrowed several journals written by Catherine Douglas from Tildy Matheson.”
Ben’s eyes lit with excitement. “Emily Stanton—er, Vaughn, I mean—told me those existed.”
“Tildy plans to bequeath them to the historical society upon her death.”
His expression was intense as he said, “They should be carefully preserved.”
“Catherine’s things mean a great deal to her. She has treasured them. Catherine makes vague references to Lily’s house being a place of refuge and safety. Tildy’s and Emelda Ross’s stories back up the fact that Catherine Douglas was abused by her husband and often taken in by Lily.”
“I’ve heard similar stories,” he said. “There’s a newspaper clip of a Polish woman named Helena who worked in the theater back east before escaping a bad situation with a man and coming to Montana. The article says that Helena found employment and refuge with a local establishment. I’ve suspected that establishment was the Shady Lady.”
“Mr. Saunders, there’s no proof that Lily was a prostitute or that her saloon was anything other than a dance hall, is there?”
He shook his head. “The theories have been elaborated over the years because of the painting. And the name of the saloon. It makes for a much more appealing story about the gold-rush days if our Lily was a colorful woman.”
“Do you really think it would hurt commerce if the true facts surrounding Lily were made public?”
He shook his head. “I doubt it. After all, we have a present-day gold mine.”
“I’d like you to put together all the solid facts regarding Lily, the Shady Lady and anything else relevant, and I’ll have a book published for the historical society. You can be the author and take whatever is a fair share for royalties, and the rest of the proceeds will go to the foundation. How does that sound to you?”
His face crinkled with a smile. “It sounds fantastic, Lisa. I can include photographs and documents from the archives. Perhaps quote from Catherine’s journals.”
“Okay, then this is your project. If you’re aware of presses that do this sort of thing, I’ll do the legwork.”
“What kind of deadline do you want?” Ben asked.
“We’d like copies in our hands by next Heritage Day, right?” She thought a moment. “How about three or four months?”
“I can do that.”
Lisa left the school feeling good about doing all she could to clear up speculation about Lily. They may never have proof of the real story, but at least they could give the facts and let people decide for themselves.
Lisa met Bernadine at the Hitching Post for lunch and told her what she’d come up with.
“That’s great, Lisa. That’s giving to the community, and they’ll love you for it.” She glanced at the menu. “What are you getting?”
“I don’t know. A hamburger? We need a restaurant as nice as anything in Billings so we don’t have to drive all that way for a real meal.”
Bernadine laid down her menu. “You’re right.”
Lisa looked at her. “You really think that’s a good idea?”
“I think it’s a great idea. If we want to draw tourists to the resort, we’ll need some classy places for them to frequent. Besides those on the resort property itself.”
“Not anything stuffy, though,” Lisa said quickly, getting into the idea with fervor. “Nice decor, maybe tin ceilings for atmosphere. Steaks. Good wine. Fabulous desserts. We’d need a good chef.”
“You’re getting the hang of this rich-girl stuff,” Bernadine told her.
“It could be called the Claim Jumper. We could hang mining memorabilia, old photographs in keeping with the theme of the town and Heritage Days.”
“You’re really good at this.”
“Dog Walker Turned Entrepreneur,” Lisa said. “Notice how I think in headlines these days?”
“This is the kind of thing Riley mentioned,” Bernadine told her, “when he recommended you put money into local ventures. He’ll love this idea.”
Lisa wasn’t so sure Riley would appreciate anything coming from her right at the moment, but they were going to have to get past their…difficulties…and get down to business.
“I’d love to see his reaction,” the other woman added.
“Yeah, I can’t wait.” Maybe this was it. Maybe this was how she’d show him she had her own mind and her own ideas and didn’t intend to be pressured into other people’s.
Lisa thought about the women in the movies with men troubles who always confided in their best friends. She didn’t have a best friend. Bernadine was her friendly lawyer, but even if she was a friend, she certainly wouldn’t have any experience that would benefit Lisa in her bizarre situation.
A confidant was an appealing notion at the moment, however.
A man stopped beside their booth just then, and Lisa glanced up to find Phil Wagner wearing an amiable smile.
“Hi, ladies.”
“Hi, Phil,” they echoed one after the other.
“I hear you’re bringing gold out of the mine this week.”
“Yep. Hope you’re ready to make money for me.”
“I’m ready. I’ve drawn up a five-year plan to go over with you whenever you have the time.”
“I’ll have the time this week.”
Phil slid a PDA from his pocket and flipped it open. “Thursday looks good in the afternoon. Or Friday morning.”
“Any lunches or dinners open?”
“Thursday lunch?”
“Perfect.”
“Here?” he asked.
“There’s the café and the lunch counter at Super Saver Mart.”
“The lunch counter is good,” Phil said.
They chose a time, and he moved away to pay his bill and leave.
“Another admirer?” Bernadine asked.
“Another business associate.”
“Miss Martin?” Chad Falkner stood beside their booth, no camera in hand.
Lisa glanced around and didn’t see any other reporters. “Well. I was wondering when I’d see you.”
“Kept our end of the deal, didn’t we?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Did you see the picture I took in People?”
“Oh, yes.”
“I was wondering if you have any kind of a follow-up statement to our interview or anything you’d like to share with the public.”
Lisa thought a minute. “Actually I do. Have a seat and we’ll talk. Have you eaten?”
Chad looked as if he’d been granted an audience with the queen of England. His expression was serious, and he sat beside Lisa with a look of sheer gratification on his face.
“I have a couple of new projects,” she told him, “and I’d like people to hear about them from me. One of them is a book on Lily Divine for the historical society. Hopefully it’s going to dispel some of the myths that have been perpetuated about her.”
“Really?”
Bernadine leaned forward. “There will be press releases regarding Miss Martin’s new ventures,” she told Chad. “What would you say to seeing those first and hearing any other news she has to share first, as long as you keep your distance the rest of the time? The way you have been.”
“I’d say yes. I can try to work out something with the other reporters so that they’ll get the same accurate news after I’ve seen it. You might have to throw them a bone now and then and pose for a few pictures.”
“I can do that.”
“We’ll have something written up for you about this book project next week,” Bernadine told him.
“Great. What about the other projects you mentioned? You only told me about one.”
“The other one is under wraps for now—at least until some more plans can be made. You’ll be the first to know.”
He stood and reached to shake both women’s hands. “Thanks a lot.”
“So, you’re my publicist now?” Lisa asked Bernadine.
“No, but I have people who can work up press releases. Anything to keep those bloodsuckers off your tail.”
Lisa thanked her and they finally got around to eating their lunch.
She had taken a huge first step toward her goal of clearing Lily’s name to the best of her ability. She was handling the press without Riley now and she had come up with her own idea for a local business venture. That should show Riley she had a mind of her own. She still had to figure out what she wanted for herself, though, and that was proving more difficult than the other tasks.
First she’d thought she was happy the way she was and resisted change. Then she’d realized she wanted more and had broken out of her boring shell and tried to change everything about herself at once. She was discovering she was more creative and independent than she’d ever dreamed.
She’d even been enjoying talking to people and coming out of her isolation. Not everyone was out to wheedle a chunk of her gold mine.
“If I didn’t have a gold mine anymore,” she said offhandedly, “would you still want to have lunch with me?”
Bernadine’s expression showed surprised but understanding, as well. “Yes, I would, Lisa. I think we’re becoming friends, don’t you?”
“Yes, I think so.”
The more Lisa thought about it over the next day or so, the more she realized she’d been very judgmental of the townspeople. Sure, there were the crazies who called to convince her they were a long-lost relative, but there were also plenty of other people who were perfectly warm and friendly. She’d always considered that they’d looked down on her and ignored her, but she’d perpetuated that treatment. If she’d stood up to a few juvenile comments in school or had not been ashamed of being related to Lily, maybe things would have been different.
That kind of thinking changed her whole attitude. And scared her. And delighted her. She really had changed.
Riley stood outside Town Hall after a chaotic meeting with officials over the much-needed addition of more police officers, firemen and medical personnel. Ever since the onset of gold fever, the town had been overrun by would-be prospectors and sightseers. Good for the economy but a stretch to their fiscal budgets. The board had asked Riley to head a project to appropriate more dollars for these jobs.
Brad Vaughn paused beside him with a question about additional parking for Main Street shops. Brad and Emily had been married recently and had settled in Thunder Canyon. Brad had started a missing-persons investigation company and he took an active interest in town issues.
“The motels are inadequate for the influx of tourists, as well,” Brad told him. “When Emily and I initially arrived here to investigate the mine ownership, we couldn’t find anyplace to stay. Your father loaned us that old cabin.”
“I heard that was a good thing,” Riley replied easily.
“As it turned out, it was, but not everyone has that option. Especially since we bought the place.”
“I agree. Even with the resort there will be middle-income tourists looking for an economy stay.”
“Emily tells me the Martin girl was reluctant to claim ownership of the mine at first. From what we see in the papers, it looks like she’s coming out of her shell now.”
“She’s come a long way. She wants to learn all she can and manage the monster that was dropped in her lap.”
Brad faced Riley with a furrow between his brows. “I hope there’s no hard feelings between us now—you know, because Emily and I made the results of our investigation public.”
That comment didn’t soak in. “What do you mean? You found the only documentation available. It’s a legal document. I know we hired you to discover otherwise, but you did find the owner. Why would that create hard feelings?”
Brad gave him an odd look. “Well…” He glanced away. “No reason, I guess.”
“No, speak up. In your opinion, why would I resent you?”
Brad seemed hesitant to speak but finally opened up. “When Emily and I found the deed, your father offered us money to keep silent about it being signed back over to Lily Harding. We wouldn’t consider it. I thought you knew this.”
The information burned in Riley’s stomach like three-alarm chili. His father had offered Brad a bribe to keep Lisa’s ownership a secret. If left to his own wishes, Caleb would have destroyed the deed and ca
lled the mine Douglas property without anyone knowing any different.
Shame heated Riley’s flesh. “No. I didn’t know. But thank you for your integrity.”
“I wasn’t sure where you stood,” Brad said.
“I haven’t been sure most of the time either,” Riley replied honestly. “But the lines are becoming a lot more clear.”
Brad extended a hand. “No harm done, then?”
“Just the opposite.” Riley shook his hand.
He and Brad parted on the sidewalk, and Riley walked toward the street where his car was parked. Family loyalties ran deep, but bribery and deceit were family values he didn’t want to condone any longer. He could forgive his father for his acts of adultery, but he had trouble with ignoring the pain his mother had suffered.
The story of Caleb offering Justin’s mother money to keep him had always stuck in his craw. Had it made Justin feel valuable?
And now this. Offering the investigators money to hide Lisa’s ownership of the mine. Equally as low-down and underhanded as Riley’s devising a plan to win her affection and marry her so he could get control, wasn’t it? He’d justified his actions by planning to leave her well off when he divorced her. What kind of warped thinking had that been? Why hadn’t he rejected the idea when he’d first had it? Because he’d seen all his life how money and power got you what you wanted. What he hadn’t seen—or wanted to see—were the far-reaching effects and the slow erosion of virtue when a person allowed this kind of manipulation.
This was the first time he’d admitted these things to himself. He’d never promised his father he would carry out the marriage. But he’d pursued Lisa as though he intended to make it happen.
What could he do to correct such a big, ugly mistake?
She wouldn’t even take his calls.
He didn’t know how to redeem himself or if it was even possible. But he knew he had to try.
Chapter Thirteen
Every day for the past week Riley had left a message on her machine. Every one-sided conversation had been similar. He wanted to see her. Wanted to talk to her. She was aware of her limitations and knew she was toast if she gave in to him. She would have to get past this and face him for business, but all in good time. For the time being, she checked in with Marge when she had a question or when there was something that needed a signature. Marge accommodated her by using a courier service.
Million-Dollar Makeover Page 17