An Agent for Annie

by Lynn Donovan

  “Good enough. Lilith will paint your canvas and then we’ll talk again tomorrow. The show starts at ten in the morning. Glad you’re here, son.” Barnum slapped Bruno on the shoulder and pretended it hurt his hand.

  Bruno chuckled. He’d seen this pretense more times than he cared to remember. “Uh. There’s just one more thing.”

  Barnum grinned. “What? Name it.”

  “My sister. She can tell fortunes. Can she set up a tent, a ‘Temple of Mysteries’ and cast fortunes? She’ll split her ten-dollar fee fifty-fifty.”

  Barnum rubbed his chin. “Huh? Fifty-fifty, you say. She got her own tent?”

  Bruno considered his question. Surely they could buy a tent somewhere in town. Pinkerton’s expense account could cover it and they would resell it once the case was solved. “Of course.”

  Mr. Barnum clapped his hands and rubbed them together eagerly. “Son, you just keep making me money. Sure, why not? Bring your sister. A circus could always use a mystic Sybil.”

  Bruno smiled. “Thank you, sir. We’ll come together tomorrow.”

  “Fine, fine. I can’t wait to meet your fair sister.” Barnum waved over his shoulder at Bruno as he walked out of the tent, leaving the flap open in his wake. The Ringmaster knelt beside the fallen man, patting his cheek.

  Bruno smiled. He couldn’t wait to tell Annie Kate they were in. She had said she’d telegraphed another agent to help persuade Mrs. Toffler, but she wouldn’t tell him who the agent was or how she knew who to contact. His wife amazed him on a daily basis. No, more like an hourly basis. He turned to find Lilith had stretched out the large sheet of canvas and paused with a pallet of paint in one hand and a long, thin brush in the other. He sighed. "How do you want me?"

  

  Annie sat at the writing desk in the hotel room, making a list of items they would need in order to set up the Temple of Mysteries. Candles, lots of candles, a table and two chairs, perhaps three. Cloth, dark cloth, perhaps sheer, if it was available, to drape around the walls. She wanted it to look transformed once Liza Toffler walked inside. As if she were no longer in Las Vegas, but Egypt or better yet, the Orient. They would need a large rug or several small ones for the floor. With these things in place, Mrs. Toffler would not doubt Annie’s performance as Mystical Melinda.

  She sighed. All her years growing up she had pretended many roles, mostly Kate Warne. If Kate could do such a thing, Annie could too. She stamped down the butterflies that tried to threaten her confidence.

  Bruno’s rugged, misshapen face materialized in her mind. She could do this… for him, for the agency— for herself. It had been her dream, a lifelong dream to be a Pinkerton Agent. This was exactly it, the way she’d imagined it would be, transforming into a character to do undercover investigating. A slight smile bowed her mouth. Just then a key rattled at the hotel room door. She laid her pencil down and turned in the chair to greet her husband.

  “We’re all set at the circus.” He absently flexed his sore hand.

  She leapt to her feet and rushed to him, taking the hand into hers and looking it over. “Are you alright?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  She withdrew from him. “No reason.”

  He obviously was not in a mood to be comforted. “I’m blatantly aware of your feelings about… returning to—”

  “I said I’m fine.” He brushed past her and strode over to the bowl and pitcher to splash water on his face. He looked up at the vanity mirror and lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

  Ah. Now she could approach him. She walked up behind him, laying her hands on his wide shoulders, and peeked around him at his reflection. “You are a good husband, and you live up to the Pinkerton code of conduct.”

  A sad smile crept across his face. He patted her hand. “Let’s talk about your role.”

  “I made a list! Can we go shopping before Gr— our new operative arrives?”

  He glared at her through veiled lashes. “Okay… what are you thinking? I know we have to get you a tent. Mr. Barnum isn’t going to provide one… and you have to split your earning fifty-fifty with him.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I never thought about a fee, or what to do with it. How would Mr. Gordon want that handled? Perhaps we should give it to the orphanage.”

  Bruno squeezed her hand on his shoulder and turned slowly to engulf her in a smothering embrace. “I love the way your mind works.”

  She snuggled into his warmth and closed her eyes. She loved the way he felt. His heart thudded against her ear. Its rhythm hypnotized her. She was safe in his arms. Not that she hadn’t felt safe alone in the hotel room. This was a different kind of security. Like she would never have to worry about him protecting her from harm. He’d always keep her safe. No matter what.

  A moan slipped from her lips. It startled her. Did he hear her too? Heat filled her face. He leaned back to look into her eyes. Big brown school-boy eyes set on a rugged, story-carved face. Scars were a diary of one’s life. Someday she’d touch each scar and ask him to tell her its story. But for now, they had to find the things they needed to set up the Temple of Mystery, and be to the train depot by ten.

  “Where does one find a tent?”

  “Let’s hope the General Store has one big enough.”

  “And something like a Persian rug.”

  He stared at her a moment. “Yes, a Persian rug, too.” He nodded and laid his hand at the bend of her back to guide her out of their room. Did he feel the lightning bolt of energy that went through her body at the point where his hand touched her? She thought he did not. If he did, he certainly didn’t seem to have his breath taken away, like she did. Focusing on her breathing, trying to normalize her breath, she put one foot in front of the other to keep moving forward as he wanted her to do. By the time they crossed the lobby she had some semblance of control.

  But when he removed his hand from her back and extended his elbow to walk in an escort fashion, she missed the heat of his hand. A chill prickled her back. Don’t ever stop! She wanted to shout. But walked as gracefully as she could manage with all that was going on in her traitorous heart.

  The selection of unique and diverse fabric was immeasurable in the Las Vegas General Store. The huge, endless aisles had everything they needed and some things they had no idea they’d find. Even the right herb leaves to aid in darkening her skin and cosmetics to give a gypsy look about her face. They even had several Persian rugs to choose from and a glass globe that would imitate a crystal ball. This was getting exciting and fun. All she had to do now was pull the fortune-telling act.

  She knew her secret weapon would arrive soon. With her help, Annie would not only persuade Liza to seek Mysterious Melinda’s talents, but she’d gain even more personal information than what was provided by Liza’s brother in the dossier.

  “I’ll teach you how to shoot later today.” He laid some supplies on the sales counter. Annie smiled as she piled her goods next to Bruno’s. He paid for everything and arranged to have the Temple of Mysteries items delivered at the site near the circus tomorrow morning by seven. Annie wanted the herbs and cosmetics to practice with tonight. Bruno carried the bundle they were keeping with them. Now they had everything they needed to fool Liza Toffler into believing Annie Kate was the Mysterious Melinda. She tensed with excitement, today she would get to learn another valuable lesson in being a Pinkerton Agent, defense.

  CHAPTER NINE

  It was Bruno who could not keep up with his spitfire wife as they rushed to the train depot. “Annie Kate! The train’s not even here yet. Slow down.”

  “I know, I just want to find the perfect spot, so I can be seen clear when— Look, there’s the train.” She swirled around and looked Bruno over. Straightening his collar, she placed her hands on his chest. “Okay, now, don’t be nervous. She’s gonna love you.”

  “Who is this operative and why do I care that she loves me?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Bruno huffed. This mystery was annoying. But
at least it would be over soon. The train whistle blew. It always caused his heart to speed up just a little when he heard the blearing sound. Annie Kate rocked up on her tiptoes and back to her heals. She could not stand still. Who on earth could cause so much anticipation in his partner? Was Kate Warne, herself, coming? That was impossible. Perhaps Marianne? Pearl? Annie Kate didn’t know them well enough to be this excited. If he didn’t know better he’d think Annie Kate’s Gra—

  “Grandma!” Annie Kate screamed and ran toward the opened door. A silver haired woman crept down the steps. Two stewards assisted her descent. Annie Kate wrapped her arms around her and held on as if her life depended on it. They were both wiping their eyes by the time they walked over to Bruno.

  Annie Kate beamed with a huge grin. “Grandma Hinkley, I’d like to introduce you to my husband, Bruno Thomas.”

  “Pleased to— Oh, my. Annie Kate wired me that you were—” She seemed to examine every flaw on his face. “Oh my. And you’re much taller than I imagined.”

  Bruno turned with Annie Kate. A placid expression on his face. “Annie, why is your grandmother here… in Las Vegas?”

  “I told you. I sent a telegram asking her to come and Mr. Gordon paid her way. We need someone to befriend and persuade Liza Toffler into going to see the fortune teller. Grandma Hinkley is the most friendly and influential person I know. If anybody can convince Liza—“

  “No. Annie Kate. With all due respect, Mrs. Hinkley, this isn’t a game. What we do is dangerous and—“

  “You think I can’t handle myself, sonny?” Grandma Hinkley squinted her eyes and pressed up against Bruno. “I got a derringer in my reticule and I know how to use it.”

  She turned to Annie and squeezed her hands into fists. “This is so fun. Not only do you get to be a Pinkerton Detective, but I get to be your informant.”

  “Well…” Bruno pulled the two women away from the crowd. “First, we don’t talk about our cases in public and second you can’t be an informant… or an agent. You don’t have any training.”

  Annie Kate frowned. “So? We teach her what to do tonight and she finds a way to befriend Liza tomorrow morning.”

  Bruno wiped his hand down his face. “Annie Kate, it’s not that simple.”

  “Bruno. It is that simple. Katheryn Hinkley is the bravest woman I know, next to Kate Warne. She can do this. I promise you. AND, because she’s not actually an operative, she’ll be even more convincing. Just this sweet ol’ lady who happens to run into Liza Toffler and befriends her. She’ll find a way to influence her to seek Mysterious Melinda for advice and come with her to ensure she is where we want her, when we want her there. Now,” she rubbed her hands together. She looked just like Mr. Barnum when he contemplated the money Bruno might make him for his performance. “Let’s go to the newspaper and have someone make us fliers. Grandma Hinkley can happen to have one or two in her purse, so she can happen to have just what Liza needs when she laments about her life.”

  “How do you know she’ll become pals with your grandmother and share all this with her.”

  “I don’t. But my grandmother has a knack for getting people to talk. Trust me. This is going to work.”

  Bruno smiled at the older woman. “It’s nice to meet you ma’am. I’m sorry I’ve been so rude. This all just caught me unawares.”

  Mrs. Hinkley laughed. “I see you haven’t change a bit, Annie Kate.”

  Bruno chuckled nervously. “Well, she keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.”

  Annie Kate looped her arm into her grandmother’s and then in Bruno’s elbow. “Come on Grandma Hinkley, let’s get you settled in your hotel room and we’ll talk about your target.”

  Mrs. Hinkley giggled. “Look at me. I’m an undercover sloth.”

  Annie Kate giggled too. “That’s sleuth, Grandma. A sloth is a very, very slow animal.”

  “Oh. No I’m not that, then.” They laughed, except for Bruno. Putting an untrained civilian in harm’s way was not the Pinkerton way. But after the woman had come from so far away, and the joy in Annie Kate’s face… he couldn’t force Mrs. Hinkley to go back to Nebraska. He’d have to figure a way to make the best of it. Maybe the real Pinkerton Detective Bruno had wired Gordon about would show up in the morning and he could have him keep an eye on Mrs. Hinkley while Mrs. Hinkley cozied up to Liza Toffler. After all, if Mrs.Toffler is with Mr. Brautigan, surely they’d be in the same place at the same time. The experienced operative could tail Brautigan and confirm Mrs. Hinkley was safe, too.

  Sure. That would work.

  Oh man! How did he get himself in such a tangle? First he was boxing, something he swore to Gordon and God he’d never do again. And now he’d gotten Annie Kate into a dangerous situation, and alone where he couldn’t keep an eye on her while she pretended to be a tarot card reader. To top that off, he was sending his grandmother-in-law out to God-knows-what with an operative who will be obligated to follow Brautigan if the man separates from Liza Toffler.

  He sighed heavily. Dang, what a mess this had turned into. What was Gordon thinking, bringing female agents into the company?

  He glanced at Annie Kate as they walked. Annie Kate was too enthusiastic to have good judgement about what to do and what was too dangerous to venture into. He needed to get her alone and discuss this with her. If anything should happen to her— he’d never forgive himself. She— she was … precious… to him. Yes. Precious. She was precious and he didn’t want anything to happen to her.

  Especially on his watch. And with her being his wife, it was always his watch, “’til death do we part.”

  He leaned down to speak into her ear. “We need to talk.”

  She glanced up at him. “Sure. After we get Grandma Hinkley settled. I’m sure she’s exhausted.”

  “Yeah, that’s part of what we need to talk about.”

  Mrs. Hinkley cleared her throat. “You know, young man, my hearing is fine.

  Annie Kate rolled her eyes but smiled. All those times she'd yelled so Grandma Hinkley could hear her.

  "And I’m tougher than I look. Where do you think our Annie Kate gets her” — she covered her mouth to direct her words toward Bruno, as if Annie Kate couldn’t hear— “bull-headedness from.”

  Exhibiting satisfaction with what she’d said, she cocked her head back on her shoulders and stared straight ahead as they walked to their hotel. Bruno spoke to the concierge and got Mrs. Hinkley a room near to theirs, but not adjoining. Of course they were legally married, but having Annie Kate’s grandmother right next door, just felt wrong.

  Perhaps they should plan to train Mrs. Hinkley in her room, rather than theirs. Just seemed less… embarrassing that way. Besides, all he wanted to impart on the older woman was how to stay safe and impress upon her not to do anything stupid that would get her into a compromising position… or dead. The last thing he wanted was Annie Kate’s grandmother’s life on his conscience.

  A cold shiver traversed his spine. Such quiet sensations plagued his mind. When had he ever cared so much for an old lady? Of course, as a Pinkerton Agent he had sworn to protect his client and their interests with his life, but this was bigger than that. This was his wife and her family, which made her his family… He blew out a frustrated sigh.

  Annie Kate angled her head to look him in the eyes. “It’ll be alright, I promise.”

  “Yeah. So you keep saying.”

  She squeezed his arm. “Trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong?”

  He chuckled, but there was no joy in it. “No, I can’t say you have. In the few days I’ve known you…”

  With Mrs. Hinkley’s key in hand, the three of them walked up the stairs to her room. A porter tugged a small traveling trunk. How many days had Annie Kate told her to plan on being here?

  “Here we are.” Annie Kate sounded happier than ever. “Now, you go get freshened up, take a nap if you want, and we’ll be over to take you to lunch in an hour.”

  “Alright, dear.” Mrs. Hinkley yawned.

 
; Bruno frowned. Really? Take a nap? When will we bring her current on the case and what she has to do to persuade Liza to go to the fortune teller? He sighed, then smiled. “Rest well.” He nodded.

  Annie closed the door and nearly skipped down the hall to their room. “Look, Annie Kate. We really need to think this through. I don’t want your grandmother getting hurt.”

  “Bruno. My grandmother meant what she said. She can take care of herself.”

  “Not if things go bad with Mr. Brautigan. If the man will poison his own wife and convince the one he says he wants as his next wife to poison her brother simply because he stands in their way… how little concern is he going to have for a meddlesome old lady like Katheryn, uh, Mrs. Hinkley?”

  Annie Kate stared at him. “I didn’t think about Dominic Brautigan doing anything to Grandma Hinkley. I was only thinking about Liza. Oh, gosh! What can we do to keep Grandma safe?”

  “Now, you’re thinking like a Pinkerton.”

  Annie Kate hung her head. “Wh-what about the agent you sent for to trail after Dominic? Maybe he can watch out for Grandma, too?”

  “That’s just it. If Brautigan goes off on his own and Liza stays at their hotel, then our guy has to leave Mrs. Hinkley.”

  Annie was quiet as they entered their room. “Alright, so if Brautigan is the one we are concerned about poisoning Grandma, but he leaves and Grandma is alone with Liza… then we don’t have to worry about her being harmed by him. Right?”

  “Well…” Bruno’s eyes darted around the room. “Possibly. We should warn your grandma not to drink anything Mrs. Toffler offers her.”

  Annie Kate considered that. “Right. Or eat anything if Liza makes it.”

  “That… sounds reasonable.”

  “Good. Whew. I’m so happy we figured that out. I’d hate for Grandma Hinkley to… to…” She obviously couldn’t say it.

  Tears filled her eyes. Bruno rushed to her and pulled her against his chest. “See, that’s why we don’t want family involved in our cases. And why you have to finish your training with me before you go off on your own to solve a crime. Being a Pinkerton is dangerous, all the time. You never know what dangers you’re going to be up against and so you have to be at the ready, all the time. Always have your weapon. Always have it loaded. You see?”