The Bootlegger's Daughter (Daughters Of The Roaring Twenties Book 1)

by Lauri Robinson

  A gasp made him turn around. “What did you find?”

  “It’s what I didn’t find,” Norma Rose said.

  He crossed the room to peer in the closet. It was neat and orderly, with dresses, too many to count, hung on hangers and more shoes than Sears and Roebuck sold in their catalog lining the floor.

  “There are shoes missing, and dresses.” Norma Rose hurried across the room and opened the top drawer of a tall white dresser. “And underclothes.”

  “How can you tell?” He bit his lip, regretting his words. A woman would notice things like that, which is why he’d wanted her to search.

  “Because Ginger just purchased the missing items the other day. A purple two-piece suit and a red-and-white polka-dot dress, both with matching shoes.” She crossed the room to where a standing coatrack held several purses. “Two purses—no, three—are missing, too.” Moving to the closet again, she nodded. “Her red pleated dress is gone, too, and—”

  Ty held up a hand. “Suffice to say clothes are missing.”

  She spun around, heading for the door. “We have to call the sheriff.”

  Reaching the door first, Ty stopped her. “Is there any chance one of your other sisters might have Ginger’s missing things?”

  “No. Though they try, Ginger is shorter than Josie or Twyla, and her skirts are much too shor— Never mind.” She shook her head. “She wouldn’t have loaned brand-new clothes to anyone.”

  He bit back a grin. In other words, Norma Rose wouldn’t have let the other girls wear Ginger’s things. “Okay,” he said. “Then we have a pretty good idea that she wasn’t kidnapped.”

  “How do we know that?”

  “Do you honestly think kidnappers would have let her pack first?”

  Her blush must have stung, because she spun around so he wouldn’t see it. “Then we have to call the sheriff,” she repeated.

  “Let’s see what else we can find first,” he said. “Give us a bit more to tell him.”

  “But she might—”

  “Whether we call the sheriff now, or an hour from now, isn’t going to make that much difference,” he said. “Except draw attention that neither your father, nor the resort, needs right now.”

  He’d hit a nerve, that was evident by the way she stiffened. She sighed and turned to face him. “You’re right.”

  Ty couldn’t withhold a chuckle. She frowned. “That,” he said, trying to stop another chuckle, “had to hurt.”

  With brows knitted together so tightly that wrinkles formed, she asked, “What?”

  “You, telling me I’m right.” He let out a low whistle. “That had to hurt.” Leaning left and right as if examining her, he added, “Are you bleeding?”

  Her face scrunched before she let out a puff of air and a full grin appeared. “No, I’m not bleeding.” She patted her cheeks, as if that would remove the pink hue. “Now stop fooling around. This is serious.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “This is serious.”

  Ty glanced around the room one more time, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. “Kidnappers would have left a note, too.” Taking Norma Rose’s hand, he tugged her to the doorway. “Let’s go see if we can figure out how she climbed out the window.”

  She’d taken a step, but now stopped, looking across the room. “How do you know she climbed out the window?”

  “The curtain’s caught in it.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  He swiveled around and pulled her in that direction. At the window, he pulled back the drapes and pointed to where the sheer panel was caught in the corner between the upper and lower glass panes. “See. If someone on the inside had pulled it closed, they’d have noticed this. But someone attempting to close it from the outside, especially while it was dark, wouldn’t have.”

  “Ginger may have climbed out the window,” she said thoughtfully, “but I can’t imagine she’d have replaced the screen.”

  He shrugged. “If she didn’t want anyone to notice, she might have. Or, she might have had an accomplice.”

  Norma Rose turned slowly, giving him the once-over with a steady gaze that made his pulse quicken.

  “Perhaps you are a private investigator.”

  “Perhaps,” he repeated and lifted a brow.

  She spun around. “We need to speak with Reyes.”

  “One of the gardeners?” he asked, following her out of the room.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” he questioned as they strolled down the hallway. “Were they...friendly?” He searched for the right word, not wanting to offend her when he was gaining ground.

  “No,” she answered, glancing his way. “Not in the way you’re referring to. Ginger wasn’t much into forming crushes on anyone. But Reyes would rope the moon for her if she asked.”

  He grinned. “You’d make a good private eye, too.”

  “It’s called being a parent,” she answered.

  “You aren’t a parent.”

  Her laugh held a hint of bitterness. “I’ve been more or less raising my sisters since my mother died.”

  “That’s a lot to take on.” He’d been in charge of his younger brother, Harry, while his parents ran their store, and had always watched the clock for the moment they’d arrive home and relieve him of his duties. Sometimes he wished he’d appreciated those days more, for they were long gone now.

  “Not always,” she said. “In many ways, taking care of the girls prepared me for running the resort.” Another sigh escaped her. “And running the resort has given me insight into overseeing the girls, especially as they grow older. Besides, family is the most important thing anyone has.”

  His throat went thick at that, and he had to change the subject, although talking burned. “Where will we find Reyes?”

  “Let’s try the main beach. I asked him to rake the swimming area.”

  This time they took the front staircase that swept elegantly above the ballroom and then along the wall, giving guests direct access to the parties below. After crossing the large room, they went out the doors onto the long, wide balcony that overlooked the lake.

  A hill covered with thick, low-cut grass, lined with various flower beds and hosting a fountain that splayed water into a circular cement pool, sloped all the way to the lake. Several boathouses and docks lined the shore on the left, whereas on the right there was a sandy spread of beach and red-and-white striped buoys floated in the water, tied together to create a safe swimming area.

  “There’s Reyes,” Norma Rose said.

  A man who was several feet out in the water pulled on a loop of rope that disappeared beneath the shimmering blue ripples.

  Ty took Norma Rose’s elbow as they started down the long set of steps leading from the balcony, and was a bit surprised when she didn’t attempt to pull away. She waited until they reached the ground before doing that. He grinned, not insulted in the least.

  Her mind clearly was on a mission. His was, too; it just took him a moment to remember it.

  Upon arriving at the fine sand, she slipped off her shoes and carried them in one hand while moving closer to the water.

  After sinking into the sand, which instantly filled his shoes, Ty pulled his shoes off, too.

  She noticed and grinned, before turning to the man in the water. “Reyes!”

  The man nodded and started walking their way, still pulling on the rope. As the water became shallower, what looked like an old bed spring appeared, covered with weeds. There was a large pile of wet slop lying on the sand, too.

  “He’s raking weeds out of the water?” Ty asked, a bit perplexed.

  “Yes,” Norma Rose answered. “They need to be maintained.” She added, “Our guests expect the best, and we strive to give it to them.”

  In Ty’s eyes, raking weeds out of the water took things a bit far. “Weeds are part of swimming, you get used to them,” he said. That’s what he and Harry had done.

  “Not here,” she said.

  “No wonder you had nude s
wimmers here last night.” He figured people had been swimming nude for years, but lately, it had become a rave. Whole groups of partygoers would jump in pools, lakes or the cold ocean back home. It seemed any available body of water would do. He assumed the amount of booze they consumed helped keep folks warm.

  “That is not something we encourage.”

  “But you don’t discourage it?”

  She didn’t answer as her gaze swept toward the gardener. “Reyes, have you seen Ginger?”

  Ty didn’t miss how the man’s cheeks, though already red from the sun reflecting off the water, turned brighter.

  “Was I not supposed to remove the ladder?” Reyes asked in response.

  Norma Rose was good at hiding her reactions, Ty noted—almost as good as him. She barely blinked before asking, “When did you remove it?”

  “This morning, just like she asked,” Reyes answered.

  Ty glanced at Norma Rose, but let her continue her questioning. She liked being in charge, and he needed to let that happen whenever he could. Let her think she was running the show.

  “From her window?” Norma Rose asked.

  Reyes nodded. “Yes. Yesterday she said she needed to wash her window and asked me to set it up and remove her screen. I offered to wash the window for her, but she said there was a long streak across it that only appeared when the sun was setting. She wanted to wait until then to wash it, and told me I could replace the screen and put the ladder back this morning, if she hadn’t already done so. Since it was still there, I put it away.” Reyes stomped the weeds from his bare feet. “I’ll go put it back. Do you want me to wash the window, too?”

  “No,” Norma Rose said. “Have you seen her today?”

  Reyes shook his head, but concern filled his eyes. “Walter asked me that earlier. Is something wrong?”

  “No,” Ty interjected, before Norma Rose could speak.

  “I just need her help,” Norma Rose said, tossing Ty a quick sideways glance. “I’ll find her. Thank you. How bad are the weeds?”

  “Not too bad,” Reyes said. “A couple more sweeps and they’ll all be gone until next year.”

  Turning her blue eyes toward Ty, she said, “We don’t disturb the weed beds near the docks. The fish like them, as do the guests who come here to fish.”

  Ty caught on to her attempt to make this look like she was giving him a tour, and nodded. “Do the cabins come with boathouses and boats?”

  She grinned and gave Reyes a nod before turning around. “They can be rented separately.”

  “I see,” he said. “Splendid.”

  Chapter Seven

  Greatly relieved Ginger hadn’t been kidnapped, Norma Rose teetered between anger at her youngest sister and something she couldn’t quite describe. It had something to do with Ty. She couldn’t say she was convinced he was a private investigator. But he certainly could be. He’d clearly discovered clues to indicate Ginger had run away, but there was still more to him. She could feel it.

  She could feel him, too, in their silent communication. She hadn’t had to explain anything to him, he’d just started going along with her ploy to stop Reyes thinking anything was wrong.

  “Yes, it is,” she answered. “Quite splendid.”

  Ty looked at her, and it happened again, that silent communication. He started laughing. She glanced over, and after noting that Reyes was far enough away that he couldn’t hear, she giggled.

  “You said it first.”

  “I know,” he answered dryly.

  “I do think the resort is splendid.”

  “I know that, too.”

  He gestured toward the grass and they started walking. They weren’t touching and she had gloves on, so why could she still feel the warmth of his hands when he’d squeezed her fingers upstairs? And what on earth were the flutters in her stomach?

  They stopped at the edge of the grass, where Ty took her elbow, helping her hold her balance while she slid on her shoes. When he let her go to step into his shoes, she took a deep breath.

  All this...this silliness going on inside her, must be nerves. She’d never had a sister run away before, and, as things stood, she needed Ty’s help. Ginger still had to be found. Her father wasn’t in any state to help, and there was no one else. She certainly didn’t want her other sisters learning about this. Next thing she knew, both Josie and Twyla would be attempting the same thing.

  “So,” Ty said, nodding toward the resort. “Where would your sister run away to?”

  Where moments ago warmth flowed, a chill now shot through her veins. “Hollywood,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  She took a deep breath in order to say it again, loud enough for him to hear. “Hollywood. Ginger is obsessed with it. She’s always reading magazines, going to picture shows.”

  He started walking. “What time does the passenger train stop at the Bald Eagle Depot?”

  Norma Rose skipped to catch up with him. “Two in the afternoon.”

  He cursed under his breath, but she heard it, and increased her speed, walking on her tiptoes to keep her heels from sinking.

  “That only gives us about fifteen minutes,” he said.

  “It’s only a five-minute drive.” If they took the well-used shortcut through the woods, but she couldn’t show him that route. “Ten at the most.”

  With a wave toward the trees lining the edge of the yard, he said, “My truck’s at Dave’s.”

  “I can—”

  He pulled a set of keys out of one pocket.

  “You can drive,” she agreed, remembering the keys she’d had Walter collect. Norma Rose pulled off her shoes to run. The toes of her stockings were already full of sand. A hole would be a relief. Ty arrived at his Model T first and she shot through the door he held open.

  The engine caught and puttered to life, and Norma Rose slapped one hand on the dashboard, the other on the top of the windowless door, as Ty shifted the truck into Reverse. She bit the tip of her tongue. It wouldn’t take much longer to take the road and though she wanted to find Ginger, she just couldn’t give away the secret trails or passageways. Rocks flew as the vehicle shot backward, and again as he shifted gear, propelling Norma Rose forward along with the truck.

  A solid arm stretched in front of her, pressing her back against the seat. “Hold on.”

  “I am,” she insisted.

  He drew back his hand and maneuvered the vehicle down the lane and across the parking lot. “Keep your arms inside,” he said, hitting the road like a bootlegger on the lam.

  Half-expecting to see coppers chasing them if she looked behind, and excited by the inner thrill that thought caused, she said, “I know better than that.”

  “Uncle Dave’s arm?”

  “You certainly have done your research,” she said, holding on tightly as they swung around a wide curve. She had no desire to argue or worry about how he’d discovered so much about her family. The minutes were ticking by, and this was about the greatest adventure she’d ever been on.

  “I don’t understand how she could have snuck out,” Norma Rose said, trying to keep her focus on Ginger. “Not without one of the men seeing her.”

  “I don’t, either,” he said. “The resort is well guarded. Could she have convinced one of them to lie for her?”

  “You met them,” she pointed out. “What do you think?”

  “No,” he answered. “And by now they will have learned of the ladder, considering Walter had already spoken to Reyes.”

  She nodded, almost feeling sorry for the night watchmen. Her father was not going to be happy to learn a ladder had been leaning against the house all night and no one had questioned it.

  “What about the White Bear Lake Depot?” Ty asked. “What times do passenger trains go through it?”

  “Several times a day, but they only run north and south. The only passenger trains heading east and west go through Bald Eagle, and that’s once a day, at two o’clock,” she answered, watching the trees whip past and h
olding on tighter as the rough road had her bouncing in her seat. “White Bear Lake folks didn’t like it when the depot was built out here, but there were already so many trains coming out of the cities, and going back in, the railroad claimed an east-west track would be too much. Freight trains roll through several times a day, but only a few actually stop at the Bald Eagle Depot.”

  “Hold on,” he said, gunning the truck onto the main road.

  “I haven’t let go,” she assured him.

  He grinned, and she had a hard time tugging her gaze away from his profile.

  Less than a mile later, Ty pointed. “Passengers,” he said excitedly. “The train hasn’t arrived yet.”

  Norma Rose gained control of her eyes. “Park over there, by the trees, and I’ll go ask Peter if he’s seen Ginger.”

  Ty swung into a narrow spot between two other cars and cut the engine. “Be careful—”

  “Of what I say,” she finished, knowing what he was thinking. Throwing open the door, she added, “I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”

  Norma Rose flinched, not exactly sure where that quip had come from. Always having to be the serious one didn’t allow her opportunities to spout off such remarks. A moment later, another rarity took place. Her insides blossomed at how Ty chuckled. She didn’t let herself laugh, but did give in to a grin.

  He met her at the back of the truck, and rested a hand in the small of her back as they hurried toward the depot. Scanning the few people sitting in the afternoon sun, she nodded greetings at two familiar faces. Jane Lundstrom and Carl Vetsch both had family in central Minnesota and traveled to see them regularly. Their curious gazes went to Ty, and Norma Rose found herself standing taller, walking straighter. Folks were prone to gossip, and it wouldn’t take long to get around that she’d been seen out with a man.

  As odd as it was, she didn’t harbor any embarrassment about being seen with Ty. He was tall and handsome, and mysterious enough that both Jane and Carl were stretching their necks to catch every movement.