by Donis Casey
“Have you looked in on Cindy this morning?”
“I did. She’s still asleep up there in the attic bedroom. Or shamming for my sake. In any event, I’ll be surprised if she makes an appearance before noon.”
Elizabeth seated herself on one of the cushioned benches in the parlor near the front door and Alafair sat down in the rocker opposite. “You know, Elizabeth, I was convinced for a spell that both these murders had something to do with the revolution in Mexico, but both those poor young men had some kind of connection to Cindy, whether she knew of it or approved.”
“Don’t think that hasn’t occurred to me, Alafair. This is why my eye is on Geoffrey Stewart now.”
Alafair shook her head. “I don’t know. I might believe he killed Bernie in a fit of jealousy, but why try to kill Matt? Because Matt had tender feelings for his wife ten years ago? That connection is mighty thin.”
“When you say it like that…” Elizabeth let the thought hang. “Just between you and me, I suppose I’d as soon it be him as any other candidate.” She emitted an ironic laugh at her own uncharitable utterance.“Poor old Cindy is just such a mess because of him, and she didn’t used to be. Why do folks love people who are bad for them, Alafair, and not love the ones who are good for them?”
“Oh, sugar, how should I know? When I think back on my own youthful folly, it takes my breath away. It was just ignorant fortune that I fell into a good marriage, because it sure was not due to any well-considered plan of mine.”
They regarded one another for a moment before Elizabeth broke the silence. “I always thought you were a paragon, Alafair, who never put a foot wrong. Mama and Daddy, all the Tuckers, our sister and brothers, nobody ever had a bad word to say about you.”
Alafair was stunned. “Good gracious, Elizabeth! You haven’t conversed much with Shaw or talked to any of my children lately, have you?” The very idea elicited a laugh. “I think we are not much acquainted with each other anymore, honey. You were just a little gal when I left home. I’m surprised you remember anything about me at all.”
“Well, truth is I don’t much,” Elizabeth admitted. “Just images like dreams.”
Alafair smiled. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you, honey. What a sweetie you were, just a’talking a mile a minute from when you were a little bitty thing. Law, you were smart! You used to love it when I’d read to you out of that book of Bible stories Daddy got us. You could listen to me read for hours, and the questions you asked! You always wanted to know the whys and wherefores of everything, and wouldn’t take a flip answer, either. One time—you couldn’t have been much more than three—I caught you with the book on your lap, pretending to read the story of Esther out loud to yourself. I hid myself and listened for quite a while, thinking how precious you were, and how well you had memorized that story, when it come to me that I never read it to you, ’cause Mama told me that wasn’t a fit tale for a little baby like you.
“You were reading it for real. You had learned yourself to read by following along whilst me or Mama or one of the other kids read to you. Made my hair stand up on end when I realized. I run and told Mama, and she didn’t hardly believe me at first. But then she give you a cattle sale broadside and asked you what it said and I’ll be switched if you didn’t tell her. I thought she ought to see that you went to a special school or had some extra teaching, but she told me that it would be better that nobody knew how smart you were, ’cause all them brains couldn’t but cause trouble for a girl.”
Alafair paused, remembering. “I look back now and wish I’d been smart enough myself to argue with her, but I reckon we just have to do the best we can with the mistakes we made in the past.” She grinned at the dumbfounded look on Elizabeth’s face. “Or the mistakes that got made on our behalf.”
Elizabeth slumped back against the wainscoting. “Well! That explains a deal. Mama and Daddy, too, used to scold me for trying to act like I was better or smarter than anybody else. Said I shouldn’t get above myself, for pride was a sin.”
Alafair shrugged. “I always figured that a body oughtn’t hide his light under a bushel. Of course, just because you’re smarter than most folks don’t mean you’re a better person; or that Jesus loves you more if you’re smart, or rich, or pretty.”
The comment struck Elizabeth as funny, and she chuckled. “You reckon not? Too bad, ’cause Jesus sure would be partial to Blanche if that was true.”
Alafair grimaced. “Mercy. When you say that, I almost understand why Mama did what she did. I’d just as soon Blanche not grow up to trade on her looks.”
“I don’t see how she’s going to be able to help it. To my observation, most folks cater to good-looking people whether they mean to or not.”
An Unwelcome Visitor
Alafair was considering Elizabeth’s opinion and judging it to be sound when Blanche opened the front door and stuck her head inside far enough to catch her mother’s attention. “Mama, Aunt Elizabeth, Miz Stewart’s father is next door, come looking for her. Artie has gone to talk to him.”
Elizabeth shot Alafair an inquisitive glance and stood up. “We’re just coming, honey.” She removed a couple of wraps from the coat tree beside the door and threw one to Alafair. “Now, what do you suppose is up?”
They went outside and followed Blanche over to the vine-covered picket fence that separated the Kemp and Stewart front yards. Artie Carrizal, his hands in his coat pockets, and Gillander Senior, arms folded across his chest, were facing one another across the fence. Artie’s back was to them and Alafair could not see his face, but Mr. Gillander’s expression was solemn as they spoke as man to man.
Gillander’s obvious regard for the boy’s feelings moderated Alafair’s poor opinion of him. Even less than admirable people have some good qualities.
Gillander looked up as the women approached, and Artie glanced back over his shoulder. The boy stepped aside to allow the adults to speak. He looked pale and drawn, but his dark eyes were deep and resolute. Twelve-year-old boys could be brave even in the face of unfathomable loss. Alafair’s heart went out to him as Blanche took his hand and led him back to the porch.
Elizabeth did not watch the children go. “Morning, Mr. Gillander,” she said. “You looking for Cindy?”
But Gillander had been distracted from his purpose. “Yon boy tells me that some evil-doer tried to murder Matt Carrizal yesterday. I never heard such a thing! What happened?”
Elizabeth lifted a hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the newly risen sun. “You haven’t heard? Yes, it’s true, I’m sorry to say. Some varmint busted into the restaurant early yesterday or late the day before and cut Matt’s throat with one of his own butcher knives. Doctor Moeur says he’s not like to live.”
“You don’t say! The boy says his mother holds out hope.” Gillander’s eyes widened. “Do they know who done it?”
“Not as I’ve heard.” She had no intention of telling the old man about Tony Arruda running from the scene.
“Robbery, do you figure?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not as far as I know. It was my sister here, and her husband, who found poor Matt lying in his own blood on his kitchen floor.”
Alafair grimaced. She would have been content for Elizabeth to leave out that bit of information. Gillander’s pale gaze clapped on her, and she said, “It didn’t seem to us like anything had been disturbed. The marshal may have come to another conclusion after we left and he had the place searched.”
“I will just be switched,” Gillander said. “I don’t know what this world is coming to. These Mexicans. If they ain’t asleep they’re drunk and if they ain’t stealing something they’re killing each other. I know that them Arrudas used to work for Pancho Villa ere they came to this country, so I figured that’s why Bernie got killed. He ran afoul of the Villistas. Those Mexican factions are vicious, Miz Tucker. You don’t know what they will do to each other. But Matt was one of the good ones, a good, clean, hard-worker.”
Eliza
beth let the remark pass, but when she replied her tone was brittle. “So I guess you’ve come looking for Cindy. Well, she’s here. She was upset that our neighbor’s son got done so cruelly, so she slept here at my house, since Geoff was not home again last night. Last I looked in on her, she was still abed.”
“Glad to know you took her in. I heard from Constable Nettles that they found the dead Mexican’s fancy hat under Geoff and Cindy’s back porch. That’s why I’m here. I come over to talk Geoff into letting me fetch Cindy back to our place for a spell. He’s spending too dang much time at work lately and leaving her alone at night. What with all this devilry going on, I figured he might be relieved to have her out of harm’s way until he’s done with his case.”
Elizabeth’s frosty manner had not warmed when she answered. “If you want to talk to Geoff, you’ll have to roust him out of the law office. But Cindy’s right here and I reckon she can speak for herself if you want to have a word.”
“Obliged.” Gillander stepped over the low fence rather than walk around to the front gate, and Elizabeth ushered him to her front door.
A Pale Fantasy
“I’ll have to ask Geoff before I can come out to stay with you and Mama, Father. I can’t just up and leave him to fend for himself.” Cindy had seated herself on one of the couches in the middle of Elizabeth’s parlor, and Gillander was standing over her. Elizabeth had invited him to sit and have something to drink, but he had made it plain that this was not a social call.
Gillander nodded. It went without saying that his daughter would have to ask permission to be away from home. But he did intend to arm Cindy with an argument to present to her husband. “You tell him that I said he can come and carry you home after he finally gets all them papers filed. He shouldn’t be spending most nights in town and eating boughten food, daughter. I admire that he’s such a good provider, but it won’t do for him to leave you on your own in that house at night while there’s a killer on the loose. In fact, I intend to pick up more cotton seed at the gin since I’m in town, so I’ll be passing right by his office on the way. I’ll just stop and tell him myself. Then we can…”
Cindy cut him off. “Don’t bother him, Father! I’d just as soon put it to him myself. You know he admires you and will do as you wish, but he will tell me if he really doesn’t want me to go.”
Gillander accepted her reasoning readily enough. “Well, tell him that if he would rather, I’ll send Levi to stay with you over to your house for a spell.”
Elizabeth had been leaning against the door frame with her arms folded, biting her lip at the father-daughter exchange until this opening arose. “She’s welcome to traipse over here and spend the night any time she wants.”
Cindy seized on Elizabeth’s invitation. “Yes, it would be much handier to come over here on nights that Geoff is away. That way I would still be available to take care of him when he does manage to get home. Surely this won’t last much longer, Father. Even his most difficult cases seldom go on more than a few weeks.”
“You can’t be imposing on your neighbors, Cynthia.” His tone was stern, but not unkind.
“She is no imposition, Mr. Gillander,” Elizabeth assured him. “We enjoy having her.”
Gillander spared her a glance before returning to business. “You talk to Geoff, Cindy. Whatever he says is fine with me. I’ll bid Levi look in on you this evening ” He put his hat back on. “Well, Miz Kemp, I’m going now.”
Elizabeth rounded on her friend as soon as the door shut behind the old man. “Why do you insist on sticking up for that snake of a husband of yours? You should tell your daddy that Geoff has moved out.”
“He has not, Elizabeth! He’ll be back. He always comes back.”
Elizabeth found Cindy’s heated response perversely gratifying. She sat down beside her friend. “Cindy, Web works on cases and briefs just as tough as Geoff does, and sometimes the same ones. Now, there has been the odd night before an early court appearance that Web has slept downtown, but he has never taken all his kit with him and camped out in his office for days on end.”
Cindy flushed red and looked away, but said nothing.
“When did Geoff scamper off this time? Was it before Bernie died?”
“Oh, you can’t think Geoff had anything to do with Bernie’s death. No, he had temporarily moved his things out of the bedroom a couple of days before the open house. He came back that night just for my sake, Elizabeth. He didn’t want me to show up to the party alone.”
“I didn’t notice that he spent much time at your elbow acting the attentive spouse.”
“It was a big effort for him to take time to come at all, Elizabeth. You don’t understand.”
“Sugary shoot!” Elizabeth raised a finger to her lips to forestall any more shocking oaths. “I declare, Cindy, sometimes I want to shake you till your teeth rattle. Do you even know what Geoff is up to when he takes off like this? And here’s what I want to know—has it for one minute occurred to you that Bernie may have taken advantage of his proximity to your house that night deliver another note, and that Geoff may have found it—or even come across Bernie while he was hiding it—and gone off like a firecracker?”
“It never happened.” Cindy was resolute. “Geoff had to leave the party early and get back to his work. He was at the law office when Bernie died and when Matty was attacked, too. He told me so. Besides, Geoff hardly knew Matt. Why would he slash his neck?”
“Maybe the two attacks aren’t connected. Maybe he only meant to kill one or the other of them. Or maybe Geoff had something in his head that we don’t know about. Why do you swallow everything Geoff tells you whole hog?”
Cindy’s newfound strength crumbled before her friend’s eyes, and she sagged. “Because what else can I do, Elizabeth? I have to make my marriage work. What else is there for me?”
Elizabeth gripped her arm. “The truth, whatever that may be, and not this pale fantasy of a loving marriage which you have created out of nothing but wishes.”
Pershing
Shaw and Webster came home for dinner, full of news as usual. The women did not need to tell them about Gillander’s visit, for in spite of Cindy’s request, he had stopped by the offices of Stewart and Kemp and spoken to Geoff himself.
Webster’s tone was gentle when he related the tale, since Cindy was listening with her hands clinched in her lap and her lower lip aquiver.
“Geoff sends his love, Cindy. He told your daddy that he figured to make his deposition next week, and apologized for leaving you alone so long. In any event, I gather that your brother will come in from the ranch tonight and stay with you at your house for a couple of days. Geoff said he’d feel better with family looking out for you until he gets home.”
Cindy managed a smile and nodded, which satisfied Webster enough that he moved on to other news.
“One thing about working across the hall from the newspaper is that I hear what’s going on before everybody else,” he said. “Mr. Miller showed us a wire story that came in this morning. Seems President Wilson has appointed a general from Fort Bliss by the name of Pershing to lead a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture Villa. The story said that Pershing’s troops crossed the border into Mexico day before yesterday.”
Alafair felt her eyebrows fly upward. “What does the Mexican president say about that?”
“I imagine he’s none too happy,” Shaw informed her, “but the article said he agreed to let the Americans into Mexico. Reluctantly.”
“Where are Villa and his gang now, Shaw?” Elizabeth asked.
“Off in the Sierra Madres somewhere. Rumor is they’re heading west.”
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “I’ll fall right over in a faint if they manage to find hide or hair of the brigands. It’s rugged as the lip of perdition down there.”
“Do you think Villa’s bandits will make another raid into this country?” Cindy sounded anxious.
Web shrugged. “Rumors abound, Cindy. Some say he’s making for Califor
nia, determined to strike across into the U.S. as often as he can get away with it. But I don’t credit that at all. The one time he did come across he took more losses than he inflicted. Besides, most of the border towns are ready for him now. There won’t be any more surprise forays.”
Cindy leaned forward. “Maybe they’re waiting for a signal. Maybe there are spies all along the border states waiting to let Villa’s army know which towns are watchful and which not, and where it’s safe to cross and stage another invasion!”
The men fell silent, giving the idea due consideration, but Elizabeth was not persuaded. “Cindy, have you been listening to your father again?”
Before Cindy had time to take umbrage, the children dashed through the parlor from the kitchen, fortified with cookies and heading back outside to play. The sight of his daughter’s hale and rosy form jogged Shaw’s memory. “By the way, Alafair, I stopped by Doctor Moeur’s office this morning and talked to his wife. The doc is making calls out south of town today, but Miz Moeur said when he gets in this afternoon she’ll have him come by here and have a look at Blanche.”
Elizabeth’s brow knit. “Is she feeling poorly again, Alafair?”
“No, just the opposite. She’s doing so well that Shaw and me were thinking of taking her home with us when we leave in a couple of days.”
“So soon?” Elizabeth looked stricken. “We are just making one another’s acquaintance!”
Shaw answered for Alafair. “We’ve been away a long while, Elizabeth. Time we got home to our young’uns.” His smile forestalled her protest. “Now, did anything interesting happen here while me and Web were downtown?”
In for Some Grief
The mid-day meal was over, and the adults were taking coffee in the parlor by the time Dillon knocked on the front door. Elizabeth invited him in, though she did not look happy about it.