by Hannah
Hannah watched Janey go to another table to check on a middle-aged couple. The woman was trying to reason with her partner who seemed angry about something. He waved Janey away and they continued their heated debate.
Arriving at Hannah’s table, Janey asked, “Can I get you anything?”
Liam smiled as he pushed his polished-clean plate toward her. “Some pie?”
“Apple?”
“Well, if you don’t have pecan, it will have to do.”
Janey nodded, turned to go, and then turned back around and leaned in to speak conspiratorially. “This is sure a strange day. There are some funny coincidences going on.”
“What do you mean,” Hannah asked.
“When I was waiting on that young couple over there, the woman kept weeping and talking about how worried she was about a baby.”
“What baby?”
“Ma’am, that’s what’s so odd. They don’t have a baby. Least they didn’t when they checked in.”
“Maybe it’s at their home and they’re concerned.”
“Maybe. But see that couple over there?” She nodded her head toward the arguing couple. “They’re worried about a baby, too. The man told her they were fools and that there was no baby.” Janey straightened up. “Sure is odd that me and the six of you are worried about a baby.”
Liam and Hannah discretely checked out the other couples.
“Just odd, that’s for sure. I’ll get your pie now.” Janey headed for the kitchen.
“Liam, do you think there’s any connection?”
“I don’t know, but I’m always suspicious of coincidences.”
The angry man pounded a fist on his table so hard that a glass of water tipped over and sopped the tablecloth. “Damn, you woman! Hard earned money down the drain.”
This brought audible sobs from the young woman a couple of tables away from the angry man. The sobbing woman’s husband scooted his chair over to her side and folded her into his arms. He looked across at the angry man. “Isn’t the noise from the storm bad enough? Do you have to upset the women with your ruffian behavior?”
“Mind you own business,” snarled the angry man.
“Quiet, Charles,” begged the angry man’s partner.
“Quiet! That’s what got me into this mess.” His red face matched his temper.
“Please,” begged the young man. “You’re upsetting my wife.”
“Well,” Charles roared. “You’re a lucky man to have an upset wife rather than a wife who upsets you!”
The young man urged his wife to stand up. The other diners in the room had stopped eating to watch the scene.
“Charles!”
“Don’t ‘Charles’ me.” He glared around the room. “What’re you all staring at? This is none of your business.”
Liam stood up. “Sir, you’ve made it our business by interrupting our meals.”
Charles stood up. “Like I said, this is none of your business.”
Liam took a couple of steps toward Charles who had doubled his fists and came at Liam.
The woman got up and forced her way in front of her husband. “Charles! Please!” She looked at Liam. “Please, we’ll go into the other room. He’s not normally like this. I’ve done something horrible and he’s angry with someone who’s hurt me.”
Before either man could respond, Hannah hurried to stand in front of Liam. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there any way we can help? I heard you mention a baby and it just so happens we’re looking for a baby, too.”
“He get to your wife, too?” Charles growled at Liam.
“Who got to you?” Liam asked.
“That fancy talker selling a baby.”
“Somebody sold you a baby, too.” The young man entered the conversation.
The room was silent as all three couples digested what seemed to be a common problem with a common rascal.
Janey came back into the room with the plate of pie. With worried eyes, she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Liam pointed to a large table and motioned for Janey to set the pie down. “Gentlemen, I think you and your ladies would benefit by joining Hannah and me at that table. Seems we’ve all had some recent happenings that we need to compare.”
Hannah nodded and held her hand out to the woman with Charles. The woman smiled and walked with Hannah to the table. Liam looked over at the young couple to find that the man was urging his wife in their direction. Liam held out his hand to Charles.
The man glanced at the large table, then back at Liam. He reached out and shook Liam’s hand. “Name’s Charles Willard.
Liam nodded. “Liam Canady.” He gestured toward the large table.
Once they were all seated and the other diners had gone back to their meals, Hannah looked up at Janey. “Sit with us. You’re part of this.”
Janey’s eyes darted toward the kitchen, but Liam’s agreement with Hannah brought her attention back to them. “Yes, don’t worry about Ketchum. Sit with us. We need you, if we’re to find Martha.”
Janey bit her bottom lip, but slipped into the chair next to the tearful young woman.
Liam nodded to Hannah.
“My name is Hannah and this is Liam. We’re searching for a baby girl that was kidnapped a few days ago.
Charles spoke up first. “Like I said, my name’s Charles Willard and this is my wife Agnes. We’ve come to San Antonio from Houston. Met a fella there who said he knew of a baby girl that needed some parents. Told us to meet him here and it was ours.” Charles paused to scowl at his wife.
Hannah hurriedly moved on to the young couple. “You’re looking for a baby, too?”
“Yes. Name’s Will Kimble and this is my wife Abby. We have a small ranch just east of Beaumont. A man contacted our local minister. Said he had a baby that needed some good parents.” Will’s face reddened and his wife covered his hand with hers. “I had a bad case of the mumps when I seventeen and we think that maybe that’s why Abby hasn’t…” He paused and cleared his throat. “Well anyway, we were more than happy to come to San Antonio and pick up the baby.”
“I can understand the joy you’d feel at getting a child.” Hannah smiled and turned to Janey. The girl blushed and shook her head no, so Hannah spoke for her. “This is Janey. Her sister Martha showed up here the other night with a baby girl and has now disappeared.”
“I knew that bastard was shady,” Charles said.
“Let’s keep the language civil,” Liam demanded. “We’ve ladies here.”
Charles harrumphed, but said nothing.
Hannah shared the details of Caroline Jackson’s murder, the care given to the dead woman’s baby by the Canady brothers and of the meeting with Sarah Jackson and her suspicions about Ben Stevenson, Caroline’s rascal husband. She finished by telling them of the baby’s kidnapping by Janey’s sister.
“Liam, do you have anything to add?” Hannah asked.
“Yes. Well, actually some questions. After listening to all your stories, something isn’t clear to me. If this Stevenson guy promised to sell the baby to both of you, why did he take the chance of having both of you come to San Antonio and possibly meet like this? And how does Martha disappearing with the baby fit into all of this?”
A scowl spread across Charles’ reddening face “I think I can tell you why the son-of-a-bitch wasn’t worried about us both being here at the same time to collect the baby.”
His wife touched his arm. “Charles.” She nodded toward Hannah and Abby.
Charles brushed her hand aside and turned to Will. “I gave him five hundred dollars, up front. You?”
Will nodded. “Same. I had to sell off some acres and a prime breeding bull, but I got the money together. Abby and I figured that seeing as how he went to our preacher to look for a good family, he could be trusted. We were fools.” He turned to his wife. “I’m so sorry, honey. I know how bad you wanted a child and I …”
For a change the woman didn’t cry, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It’s all righ
t, Will. It’s all right.”
Even Charles respected the healing moment the Kimbles were sharing as a silence settled around the table. A fellow diner broke into their reflections. He pushed his plate away, got up from his table and walked over to the group.
“Name’s Matthew Dearborn. Stevenson got to me for five hundred, too.”
The Kimbles and Janey gasped, Agnes moaned, Charles uttered an, “I’ll be damned.”
Hannah clutched Liam’s arm while Liam shook his head, and scanned the room. “Anyone else here to pick up a baby?”
The remaining two diners shook their heads no and one of them laughed. “No, but this is sure the most interesting meal I’ve had in a long time.” He laughed again.
Charles stood up. “Think this is funny, do you?”
Liam got to his feet. “Let it go. We need to focus on what we need to do next.”
“Yes,” said Hannah. She pulled another chair to the table as everyone sat down and shifted around to make room for Dearborn. She asked, “You’re alone?”
“Yes.” Dearborn told his tale. He and his wife owned a general store in Glidden. His wife had nearly died a few months ago while giving birth to a stillborn baby girl. The doctor saved her life, but they were told that there would be no more babies. His wife turned in on herself and Dearborn worried for her sanity, if not her life. Then, their minister came by and told them of a baby that was up for adoption. Just the thought of having a child had brought his wife back to life. The church members chipped in with money to add to Dearborn’s saving. Stevenson attended one of their Sunday services, picked up the five hundred and told Dearborn to come to San Antonio on today’s date to take custody of the baby. Dearborn’s wife was too weak to travel. Now, he’d have to go back, alone. He worried that he’d lose his wife again.
“I wonder just how many folks paid that son of …” Charles paused, “paid for a baby?”
His remark generated a discussion of how rotten Stevenson was, how gullible they’d been and finally, they questioned if there even was a baby.
“There’s a baby all right,” Janey spoke up. “My sister has it.”
Everyone started talking at once directing questions at Janey who cowered back and dropped her head.
“Stop! Stop!” Hannah broke in to get their attention. “I told you that Janey’s sister was duped, same as you folks, into getting involved with the baby. But, Martha is a good person. We can only hope she’s still with Stevenson and the baby is being cared for properly.”
Will Kimble agreed. “You’re right. The welfare of the baby is the important thing.” He looked around at his fellow dupes. “According to Hannah, none of us are going to get that baby. She belongs with her grandparents. Our money is gone.”
“Unless,” Charles spoke up, “we can catch him. Maybe he hasn’t had a chance to spend it all yet.”
“Mr. Willard,” said Hannah, “while I appreciate what you’re proposing, I’m not sure that’s the right approach.” She didn’t flinch from the unsure faces around the table. “He would recognize you folks and run. Heaven knows what he’d do with the baby if his back was against the wall.”
“Hannah’s right,” agreed Liam. “Stevenson doesn’t know us. That gives us the opportunity to get close to him. He might even peg us as potential dupes who’d want to buy the baby.”
“Yeah, makes sense.” Charles became the spokesman for the group. “But, how do we know that if you catch him with some money, you’ll bring it to us?”
Liam looked from face to face. “Because I say I will and because Hannah has made a promise to the baby’s dead mother that she’d do right by the child.” He leaned his face close to Charles. “Is that good enough for you?”
Before Charles could respond, Zach rushed into the room. Dust flew everywhere as he brushed at his shirt and denims. He zeroed in on Hannah and Liam. “Martha’s horse came back.”
“Martha’s back?” Janey’s face lit up with hope.
“No, sorry Janey. Just the horse.”
“How could that happen with no rider and in this terrible storm?” asked Hannah.
“That’s one smart horse and she loves to eat. Didn’t surprise me none that she done found her way home.”
“But the storm?” Hannah asked again.
“Storms done past. Things is a mess outside, but little wind. Its mostly done moved north.”
All conversation ceased as everyone listened for the howling of the wind. They’d been so engrossed in their tales of woe that no one had noticed it had abated somewhat. One of the clerks came to the dining room doorway.
“Storm’s passed. No harm to the hotel. So, it’s safe to go to your rooms, but I’d stay indoors until all the stirred up dust settles down.” Before anyone could comment or ask questions, he was gone.
“Liam, we must go.” Hannah touched his arm.
“Wait a minute here,” Charles stood up and waved his arm about to include the others at the table. “We’re the ones out a bundle of money. We need –
Liam took Hannah’s hand, then stood up. “Look, Mr. Willard, I’ve already told you why you need to stay here.” Liam looked around at the others. “I promise, if we don’t find Stevenson within a day or two, we’ll welcome you to ride with us. We’ll form a posse, with or without the sheriff, and search every inch of Texas until we find that bastard. Can you live with that?”
Kimble nodded his agreement first, then Dearborn, and finally Charles.
“Good,” Hannah said. “If we aren’t here at breakfast day after tomorrow, come looking for us south of town.” She told them of the small trail down to the water and how to find it.
Zach followed the couple out of the hotel as they headed for the livery. Once inside, Zach spoke, “Listen, I didn’t want to say anything in front of all those folks, but they was a message from Martha on the horse.”
“Let me see it,” Hannah demanded.
Zach motioned toward a saddle resting on the rails of a horse stall. Even from a few feet a way, the word “HELP,” written in blood, stood out boldly.
Hannah looked up at Liam. “Whose blood?”
“No telling, but it makes me real worried about Martha. She’s expendable and she can tell what Stevenson’s done or going to do.”
“Oh, Liam, if anything happens to that baby I’ll have broken my promise to Caroline and to her mother.”
“I don’t really think Stevenson will hurt the baby. Look, it’s already made him $1500 richer and maybe more that we don’t even know about. No, he’ll hang onto that baby.”
“But what about Martha?” Zach asked. “That girl never done nothing bad to nobody. Now, all’s everbody’s worried ‘bout is that there baby.” He turned and walked toward the back of the livery.
“What are you doing, Zach?” asked Hannah.
“Goin’ to find Martha.” He opened the gate to a large stall, went inside and came out leading three horses. “They’s all saddled and ready to go,” he said as he mounted one.
Hannah attempted to discourage him. “Zach, I don’t think –
“Don’t care what ya think. Ya comin’ with me or not?”
“I don’t think he’s going to change his mind.” Liam mounted his steed and smiled down at Hannah. “Coming?”
They were at the livery door when the sheriff charged in almost getting run over by the horses. “Goin’ after that Stevenson fella?”
“Yes.” Hannah’s voice echoed with a dare.
“I’m goin’ after Martha. Now git otta my way, Sheriff.”
Liam pulled his horse up next to the sheriff. “We aren’t ignoring what you said about the father’s rights, but we’ve gotten some more information. We think that horse thief is the baby’s father and he talked Martha into doing something foolish. Now, she’s in as much, probably more, danger than the baby.”
“That horse thief I chased down all day is involved with the Jackson baby?”
“We think so,” said Hannah. “Did you find him?”
&nbs
p; “No, ma’am. No trace. The boys and I nearly got blown away by the storm. We got back here a few minutes ago, tired and gritty and they took off for the saloon. I went back to my office. Good thing, too. Little Mexican fellow that works for the Jacksons was waiting for me. Said the Jacksons have disappeared. Said he went to bed last night and when he got up this morning, they was gone.”
“Did the Mexican say if there was any sign of a struggle? Any blood? They didn’t leave a note? Any strange hoof or shoe prints? Did he hear anything at all?
“Whoa there, ma’am. That’s a lot of questions.” The sheriff looked up at Liam.
He smiled and shrugged. “That’s Hannah. Lots of questions. Her mind goes a mile a minute.”
“I’m sorry, Sheriff. It’s just that we need to hurry. We’re afraid something may have happened to Martha.”
“Martha’s in on this?” the sheriff asked.
“We think she was duped into helping to kidnap the baby. Zach told us –
“Ma’am, we is spending too much time talking ‘bout ‘em, when we need ta be findin’ ‘em.”
Liam agreed. “Zach’s right. Step aside, Sheriff. Once we’re gone, go on over to the hotel and ask for a Charles Willard. He’ll fill you in on Stevenson’s dirty dealings.”
The sheriff pulled his gun and aimed it at Hannah. “Can’t do that.”
Chapter 23
Defying the Law for Hunches
Liam put himself between Hannah and the sheriff’s gun barrel. “Sheriff! Put that away.”
“Son, I don’t want to shoot either of you, but I will. It’s my job to uphold the law here in San Antonio.”
“We aren’t breaking the law, Sheriff.” Hannah inched up so she could see around Liam’s broad shoulders. “We are trying to save a baby.”
“And Martha!” Zach reminded everyone.