“What about my father and the silver strike?”
Stone hoped wealth wasn’t that important to her; he didn’t think it was. “He can run it if he’s still alive. If not, you can form a company to do it. You said you know where the strike is, and the land is registered in your name so nobody can steal it from you.”
“There’s one point that needs handling if Father’s gone: his partner. If Clayton Cassidy has family somewhere, part of the strike is theirs. Father said he had no relatives, but I’d like to make sure of that.”
That moved Stone deeply and convinced him she was being honest. “If they’re distant, why would they deserve it? You’ll need investors, but all of this can be discussed and decided another time. It’s late and you need sleep, woman. I’ll sneak out, bed down someplace, and see you tomorrow night after your evening with Kinnon.”
“I dread that, but it might help us learn something.”
“Just don’t go too far to dupe him.”
“I won’t, so don’t worry. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since leaving England, it’s how dangerous and dark midnight secrets can be.”
Stone prayed his remaining secret wouldn’t be long or damaging, and he would confess it soon. To do it now might evoke suspicions. She needed him and, if she learned the truth about him, she might turn against him and find herself in danger. It was possible Matt had her duped and was deserting and betraying her as he was doing to the rest of his family in Georgia. When she discovered the truth about her father, he needed to be at her side. “I love you, Ginny. Whatever happens, you have me.”
She cuddled against him. “I love you, Stone Chapman. I can hardly wait for this to be over so we can begin our new life together in Texas.”
“I’ll work hard to make sure it’s very soon.”
“Nothing can ever come between us again,” she murmured as she kissed him, unaware that terrible “nothing” would appear within hours.
CHAPTER 18
“What?” Ginny heard the shout come from Frank Kinnon’s office next to hers. Muffled voices reached her ears then another shout of “Damnation!” She wondered what had evoked her boss’s anger. Surely, she fretted, she hadn’t been exposed. Her apprehension mounted as she strained to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t make out what was being said. She saw a shabbily dressed prospector pass her room while counting gold coins in his dirty grasp. Her tension mounted as she waited to see if he came to confront her. Two guards passed her office and entered Frank’s, to stay only a few minutes.
She went to check out the matter. “What’s wrong, Frank? I heard shouting. Is there a problem? Can I help?”
“That damn Special Agent is back in town again! Joe saw him and he’s asking sneaky questions around the miners’ tents and in the saloons. If he keeps looking for Clay’s killer, he’ll find that strike before I do.”
Ginny tensed in dread of Stone being the agent mentioned and rashly exposing her. Yet Frank had said again and keeps looking…The pacing and scowling banker seemed so unsettled by the news that he spouted off a rush of disclosures that soon amazed and distressed her.
“Maybe Clay told him where the silver is located before he died. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chapman knows and he’s come to see if anyone’s working the area. Maybe he was in on the strike and the claim is registered to him. I never thought to investigate that possibility. Hell, he could have been a third partner in the diggings; they were all friends. I’d better go to the land office and check it out. I’ll soon see if Chapman’s been fooling me.”
Ginny was stunned by the intimidating hints in his words. “Wait. What are you talking about, Frank? You’re so upset that you’re not making sense. Did someone cheat you?”
“It’s about that Marston-Cassidy silver strike, the one I told you was worth a fortune. A lawman named Stone Chapman was their friend; he served with them in the Army during the war and they worked odd jobs together. He and Clay were real tight for years, best friends. Chapman was away on a mission when Matt and Clay were murdered, I think scouting for a supply train for Captain McDougall of Company B in Denver. When he returned and heard the news, he was like a wild man. He’s been here twice looking for the killer. He left the last time in early March, and I was hoping he’d given up and wouldn’t return. Now, he’s back again to thwart me.”
Friends: Matt, Clay and… Stone? Her love wasn’t a stranger here? Left in March to accept another assignment: the Ku Klux Klan mission. This was the “next job” he had mentioned to her several times? Her father had never written to her about Stone Chapman, but Ginny didn’t doubt the truth of what Frank Kinnon was telling her because, if he even suspected who she was, he would have taken her to his ranch to question and then beat the truth from her. He wasn’t even observing her for a reaction, so her identity and goal were definitely unknown to him. It sounded as if her boss had checked out the agent in the past, no doubt for clues to the silver. When the irate man started talking again, she listened carefully.
“From the questions he asked last time, he had a wild idea Matt’s still alive and he’s the one who killed Clay to get everything. He’s back nosing around for clues. From what Joe reported, Chapman still thinks Matt’s alive and is the murderer. It’s crazy; Matt wouldn’t desert such a rich strike or fail to stake a claim on it. He must be dead. My detective couldn’t find news of him anywhere and what man would lay low for a year when he has a fortune to dig out? I have men taking samples everywhere to see if I can find a match to the one Matt and Clay brought in. So far nothing. Chapman can complicate matters for me. I know he won’t rest until Clay’s killer is found and punished, probably by his guns, and he’s damn good with them.”
Ginny didn’t want to believe what she was hearing but sensed it was accurate. Stone hadn’t come to fetch or help her, only to entice her to lead him to her father so he could…Kill or arrest him? How could he know her father and think him capable of cold-blooded murder? If her traitorous lover wasn’t up to no good, he would have shared this information with her last night. The moment Ben had exposed her name, destination, and goal, he had guessed who she was, and might have known from the start. To conceal her shock and anguish, Ginny faked anger and disappointment. “That’s awful, Frank. You’ve done more work to find it than he has. It would be terrible for him to ride in and snatch it away. Do you think this Mathew Marston is still alive? Do you think he killed his partner?”
“No, or he would have shown up or been located by now. He must have been the second man in the cabin. Chapman can’t have evidence otherwise. He told the authorities here he didn’t have proof it wasn’t Matt.”
“You think this Stone Chapman knows where the silver is hidden? You think he may have been a third partner? Maybe he wants Mr. Marston imprisoned or slain so he can get full control of the strike.”
“It’s possible, Anna. I’m having him watched to see what I can learn. Joe’s pointing him out to my two boys and they won’t let him out of sight. Maybe, with luck, he’ll lead them to the strike.”
“That’s good, Frank, and very smart. You said he’s a lawman, a Special Agent. Perhaps he’s only trying to solve a criminal case; he does have a personal interest in it. Perhaps he doesn’t know where the claim is located. I hope not. You’ve dreamed of owning it for so long.”
Frank grasped her hands in his and gazed into her eyes. “I hope it’ll be ours, Anna. I want you to marry me. I love you.”
Ginny feigned astonishment. “You’re… proposing to me?” He smiled and nodded. “But we’ve only known each other for less than two weeks. This is so sudden and unexpected. I don’t know what to say, other than I’m flattered and taken by complete surprise. You’re the most sought-after bachelor in town. Why me, Frank? And why so soon?”
“Love doesn’t work on a schedule, Anna. This caught me by surprise, too. Sure, I’ve wanted and searched for a proper wife, but I couldn’t find one. Then you appeared in my life, the perfect woman for me. I can give you anything you want, with or
without that strike. I own many businesses, a prosperous ranch, a big house here in town, and investments in other areas. I’m a leading citizen of Colorado City and the state. I’m rich and powerful. People like and respect me. I have friends in high places, so nobody from your past could ever harm you under my protection. We’ll have a beautiful family and give them the best of everything. You’ll be the belle of Colorado City, Miss Anna Avery, if you’ll become my wife.”
She pretended to ponder his proposal for a minute and to fidget in uncertainty. “This is such an important decision, Frank. I need time to think. You don’t know how tempted I am to say yes this very moment, but that wouldn’t be fair to either of us. I must make sure it’s you I love, not all you can give to me. Let’s cancel our dinner tonight and allow me time to make the right decision. I’ll see you Sunday and give you my answer then. All right?” That will give me time to escape both yours and Stone’s clutches.
“Take off now. It’s only a few hours to quitting time. Rest and think hard, Anna. I love you and I won’t take no for an answer. If you don’t love me now, you will one day. There’s nothing wrong with marrying me knowing that, and you won’t be duping me if you expose your feelings.”
“That doesn’t seem fair to you, Frank.”
“Having you is the most important thing. Whether you love me or not, you’ll make me a good wife, the perfect companion and partner. Now I need to get to the land office before it closes for the day. If I don’t find anything registered there, I’ll telegraph the one in Denver. By Monday, I’ll have an answer about a claim registered under the name of Chapman or Marston or Cassidy. I’ll call for you Sunday evening at six. Say yes, Anna, and you’ll never be sorry.”
“Whatever happens, Frank, I’ll never be sorry I met you. I’ve learned so much from you. I promise you’ll have my answer by Sunday night.”
Ginny had no choice except to allow Frank to embrace and kiss her. Needing to dupe him, she responded demurely. “Please don’t come around to influence me to say yes. I have to do what’s right for me, for us.”
“Sunday night it is, Anna. I know you’ll agree.”
Ginny and Frank parted outside the bank. Without being obvious, she checked her surroundings several times to make certain she wasn’t being followed by her traitorous lover or by Kinnon’s men. By now, Stone should be concealed or trying to shake his tails. She knew he was skilled enough to realize he had shadows, so precaution should keep him away long enough for her to elude him. If she confronted him, he would deceive her again and she couldn’t bear that, not today. If he loved her and trusted her, he would have confided this secret last night. Stone must have been shocked to learn her identity from his father, but his knowledge couldn’t be kept a secret for long. Surely he was intelligent enough to realize the risk of damaging their relationship was greater from her discovering he’d deceived her again than from a brief misunderstanding and suspicions that could be explained as coincidences and destiny. He could have told her at least part of the truth about their entwined pasts and given his old friend the benefit of doubt.
She must find her father first to help prove his innocence. Besides, she couldn’t risk Stone exposing her to Kinnon, as his reckless and inexplicable investigation could do at any moment. How strange and cruel that mischievous fate kept throwing them together and yanking them apart. Every time things looked sunny and peaceful, new conflicts and dark clouds appeared. Perhaps they were ill starred.
Hattie’s Boarding House came into sight and she hoped Stone hadn’t taken refuge in her rooms. When she reached them, she was relieved to find both empty. With haste, she changed into a shirt, pants, and boots. She packed a few garments in saddlebags, and loaded the cloth sack with supplies, and filled her canteen. She strapped her derringer near her calf, then concealed a knife she’d purchased in her boot. She belted a new holster around her waist and slid the pistol taken from Slim into it. The rifle was loaded and more cartridges for all three weapons were stuffed into pockets of her flannel jacket. Months ago Stone had told her to keep extras close at hand for emergencies. He had taught her plenty she would use now to escape him and to protect herself in the wilderness. She dreaded heading into the mountains alone where countless men were seeking their fortunes, but she had no choice. Because of his rash probings, by Monday, Frank would know about a claim seventy miles away in the name of V. A. Marston. She couldn’t let Kinnon beat her to the cabin and capture her father in case Mathew Marston was hiding out there from both men. If Stone knew the cabin’s location and followed her there, she would force the truth from him and would convince him he was pursuing the wrong man. With Kinnon and a Special Agent after him, her father wouldn’t, couldn’t, return to town. Matt wasn’t safe here and neither was she anymore.
Stone knew he’d been recognized, despite his short beard and all his precautions. He’d tried to ask his questions about Marston and the fire last year as cunningly as possible, but one of the prospectors had gotten suspicious. Within the last hour, he’d picked up two shadows, men he’d seen with Frank Kinnon yesterday. That annoyed but didn’t surprise him as the banker had been searching for the claim since last year. Since he’d done the assaying and the strikers were dead, it wasn’t odd for him to seek the rich site. He’d checked out Kinnon the last time but found nothing suspicious about the man. As far as everyone knew, Kinnon was an honest and upstanding citizen who’d never had any accusations against him to sully his good name. Yet, if Matt was being stalked or framed, it was up to him to help his old friend prove it. And if trouble had befallen Matt, Ginny needed him to help and protect her from that same threat.
Stone sipped a whiskey in a saloon that would be filled with customers soon; a big and noisy crowd would make it easier for him to lose his trailers. While he waited, his keen mind worked on his problem. Matt was the missing piece to the puzzle and he must find him before he could put it all together. If only Matt had sent him a message for help or left an explanatory note in the cabin, he could have solved Clay’s killing by now and Matt would be in the clear. If Ginny’s father had thought he couldn’t trust the law or the officials in these parts, Matt should have known he could trust him. The fact Matt was also hiding from him created doubts of the older man’s innocence. Or maybe his own troubled past was causing him to think evil of the man.
As soon as it was dark, he’d sneak to Ginny’s room to wait for her to return from her dinner with the banker—and that one had better not touch her! He’d confess everything to her and trust her to believe him. Maybe she didn’t realize her father might have changed during their long separation; she hadn’t seen Matt since she was thirteen. The man had endured a bitter war where killings and cruelties had become second nature for many. Imprisonment, a loss of his plantation and family, and hardships in the wilderness must have worked on him. Matt was allowing his other daughter and wife to believe he was dead but he’d kept in touch with Ginny until last summer. Didn’t that mean Matt loved and wanted his oldest child? Yet didn’t he realize that news of his enormous strike would spread all over the country and expose him to his discarded family? Perhaps Matt was seeking investors so the mine and company wouldn’t bear his name; perhaps he’d be a silent partner to protect his holdings from claims by other kin.
As he finished his drink, Stone knew he would have to persuade Ginny that her father might be a criminal. Yet, during this next talk, he needed to be totally honest with her. With Kinnon on to him and perhaps his true target, it was time to get Ginny out of town to safety. Before dawn’s light came, they needed to sneak away to the cabin ten miles north of Weston Pass. If Ginny refused to listen or trust him tonight, he would rope and gag her, then haul her there where he could convince her in private! Matt Marston, you’d better be innocent for her sake! Don’t force me to lose the woman I love because I have to arrest you and send you to prison.
As she completed preparations for departure, Ginny agonized over the dark span between them. While snuggled in her bed at midnight,
Stone had led her to believe everything was golden and a bright future loomed ahead. She had not reached him and changed him. An evil monster dwelled between them, one Stone refused to slay. Love had blinded her to the real man and to the staggering facts. He knew how confused she was about her father; yet he had kept secrets that could explain certain matters about the past. His hatred, bitterness, and desire for revenge were apparently more important to him than their love, if he loved her. Until he confessed all to her and truly changed, there was no hope for them. If it must end between them, she wanted it to happen before more damaging evidence against him surfaced. If she was mistaken, he would find her and convince her of it.
Ginny penned a note to Hattie, who was out with a man who was attempting to woo the older woman. She revealed that Frank had proposed and she was going to Denver for a few days to consider her answer. She asked the woman to take care of her possessions until she returned. She twirled and stuffed her hair beneath a wide floppy-brimmed hat with a pinch-creased crown that concealed part of her face. She donned the oversize jacket that hid her curvy figure. She had eaten cold fried chicken and biscuits while she worked to avoid a revealing campfire in the hills later and she had wrapped extra food in a clean cloth to save her time and work for tomorrow.
Midnight Secrets Page 41