Paige MacKenzie Mysteries Box Set

by Deborah Garner

  It was exactly what Paige wanted to hear. Checking to make sure Chester would be around later, she adjusted her hat one more time, stepped out the front door of the livery and walked calmly down the street, assuming a leisurely but confident stride, as she figured a man might do.

  Tuttle’s Saloon was crowded, as crowded as a place can be in a barely established town. The bar was lined with men of varying heights and dress, most wearing hats and engaged in animated conversations with neighbors on adjacent bar stools. It was not difficult for Paige to slip in essentially unnoticed, where she took one of the few empty seats, this one at the end of the bar.

  Around her, the level of activity swirled with high energy. Four men – the same four men she had seen before, from what Paige could tell – were carrying on an animated card game in the corner, setting aside their poker faces in order to have a dispute of some sort. One man paced the floor with a glass of whiskey in his hand. Two women in tight, gaudy attire leaned seductively against the far end of the bar – ladies of the night, Paige surmised by their high cut hemlines and even lower cut necklines, or even possibly dance hall girls from The Clubhouse. This clearly worked in her favor, as the attention of the men not otherwise engaged in drinking or arguing seemed to be directed toward the two women.

  There was no sign of Jeremiah, to Paige’s disappointment. But at the moment it was Cyrus she hoped to see and in this wish she found herself lucky, as he was sitting just two seats away from her at the bar. He appeared restless and nervous, fidgeting with his glass frequently. Between gulps of whiskey, he tapped his fingers against the wood grain of the bar’s counter top. Every now and then he glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to his whiskey again.

  “What’ll you be drinkin’ today, young fella?” The bartender’s voice startled Paige out of her observation of the bar and its various customers. Looking up cautiously, she was relieved to find the majority of the bartender’s attention was focused on a glass he was drying.

  “A whiskey,” Paige muttered, keeping her voice as low as she could without sounding unnatural. She watched as the bartender sauntered over to a row of bottles, picked out one that was almost full and poured a short glass half-way to the top.

  As he approached the bar area in front of her seat, a new panic gripped Paige. It was doubtful she had any money. These get-ups that she kept finding herself in were designed more for fitting in with the surroundings than for actual day-to-day living.

  “This one’s on the house,” the bartender said as he slid the glass casually down the counter. “A young man passing through Jackson ought to be allowed a welcome drink.”

  Paige breathed a sigh of relief. Just as it had been when Chester had taken her to the top of the butte in the wagon, she was off the hook monetarily.

  Cyrus continued to look around between swallows of his drink. It was clear he was watching the door and waiting for someone. With each passing minute he grew more impatient. Paige guessed that the person he was waiting for was late, which would explain his continuous glances toward the entrance of the saloon. Or, on the other hand, he might just be nervous. This would be merited, she thought, if her suspicions were correct.

  Paige took a sip of her drink, not wanting to appear too conspicuous by not touching it. The rough liquid burned as it slid down her throat and she had to hold back to keep from choking. She had always favored a nice merlot or chardonnay over liquor and she knew the abrasive liquid in her glass was a far cry from the products of modern day distilleries.

  As Paige was attempting to get a second taste of the hideous drink across her lips, she noticed a woman enter the saloon, making a snake-like entrance in a rich, plum-colored velvet dress. The plunging neckline and sleeves were trimmed with ruffled layers of rose lace. Tiny pearls dotted the seams along the back of the sleeves, catching the bar’s light and twinkling in a star-like fashion. Her dark brown hair was partially swept up under a velvet hat of the same color, edged in matching, glistening pearls and tilted slightly over her forehead. The rest tumbled down over her shoulders in wild ringlets of curls.

  She made her way across the room, ignoring the stares of a few of the men, and placed herself firmly against the bar to one side of Cyrus, who looked up at her with an expression that was a mixture of hunger and fear. Leaning towards him in a sultry fashion, she rested her hand on his shoulder and appeared to whisper something in his ear. These hushed words triggered a wide smile across his face and a twinkling in his eyes that appeared almost boyish in the glow of the lantern-lit saloon.

  “Well now, don’t you look mighty fine tonight, Ruby.” Cyrus spoke with the cockiness of a man trying to impress. “That velvet sure does light up your pretty face.”

  “Now, Cyrus, that’s about the nicest thing you could say to a lady and I do thank you,” the woman responded in a sweet, sugary tone. She nodded yes to the bartender’s silent offer of a drink.

  “Ain’t tellin’ you nothin’ but the truth,” Cyrus added with a school-boy grin. “Why, Ruby, as sure as these mountains are high, you’re the prettiest female to ever set foot in this valley. And I’ve seen a few come through before, but none as fine as you.”

  Again, the woman leaned over and whispered in Cyrus’ ear. And again he blushed and fumbled nervously with his drink. They continued in this manner for some time, exchanging whispered conversation as Cyrus seemed to melt little by little into the bar counter.

  With the continuing rain and approach of evening hours, the saloon became more crowded. A few men hovered around the bar, while others stood alone or in groups in the center of the room. Others rested against the wall next to Paige, oblivious to her, yet making her nervous, nonetheless. She didn’t need one of them accidentally bumping into her and knocking her hat to the floor. Seizing a sudden opportunity to grab a seat that emptied next to the lady in velvet, she moved into a better spot from which to try to overhear Cyrus’s conversation. With the woman leaning against the bar, blocking his view, her move to the closer bar stool was not noticed. She positioned her back away from them and took another burning sip of the whiskey, adjusting her hat forward a little, partially to hide her face and partially to conceal her grimace as she tried to swallow.

  The noise level increased as the saloon filled and escalated even more as the customers filled themselves with spirits. Conversation became looser and, while many paid little attention to what others were saying, Paige listened more carefully, especially to the words being exchanged next to her. The efforts paid off, as phrases began to drift over to her.

  “It’s not going to be easy in this rain,” Cyrus was heard saying.

  “Well, a little water ain’t gonna hurt you,” the woman laughed nonchalantly. “You can do this for me, can’t ya, Cyrus, sweetie? For us?” Her voice sounded as sweet and sticky as honey as it floated across Paige’s back and reached her ears. Had she been able to look behind her, she was sure she would have seen the woman stroke Cyrus’s cheek as she oozed these words at him. Even without seeing it, his reaction to Ruby’s lavish flattery was clear. He would do anything she asked.

  Cyrus called to the bartender for another round of drinks for himself and the lady. As the conversation evolved, it was clear a plan was being formed. “Yes, tonight…as soon as it’s dark enough…quite a distance…hide it well…saddle up…he won’t be able to find it, don’t worry” were portions of the conversation that Paige was able to make out.

  She lingered, but was unable to pick up any more information as the din of the bar activity continued to rise. Knowing she needed to act quickly, Paige slipped out the door and hurried back to the livery stable, where she found Chester tending the horses, as she knew she would. She looked around for any sign of Jeremiah, but it was clear that Chester was the only one there.

  “Chester, I need your help,” Paige said, slightly out of breath from her brisk walk from the saloon.

  “No problem,” Chester replied. “You just tell me what you need. Your wish is my command, as they say.” He
made a noise that sounded like a sigh and laugh mixed together, a sign of resignation. His encounters with Paige were just destined to be a little out of the ordinary.

  “This is going to sound odd,” Paige warned him, as he brushed down a sturdy, golden work horse. “But I’m going to need to follow someone tonight, and I don’t think a wagon is going to work. I was planning to follow on foot, but I overheard the words ‘saddle up’ so I have a feeling it may be too far to walk.”

  “Do you have any idea where you’re going to end up?” Chester asked.

  “No,” Paige said hesitantly.

  “So you don’t know how far it is?” Chester continued, giving Paige a puzzled look.

  “No,” Paige said with a sigh.

  “And the people we’re following said something about saddling up?” Chester asked, to make sure he had the facts straight, what few there were.

  “Yes, I’m sure I heard that,” Paige answered.

  Chester thought over this information and then summed it up on his own.

  “So we need to follow someone or some people somewhere, possibly nearby, possibly not, and you believe this person or these people will be traveling by horse?”

  “Yes, that’s about all I know,” Paige answered meekly.

  Chester shook his head, half humored and half amazed that he was about to agree to such a crazy scheme, but he knew he was going to say yes before she even explained. There wasn’t much to go on, but at least he could try to help.

  “OK,” Chester said. “We’ll saddle up two horses. I’ll take my usual horse, Fire, and you take Cinnamon, who’s always good about behaving with strangers. Whoever we’re following will probably take a lantern. In order for our horses to not be heard, we’ll need to follow the light, rather than following their horses directly. And we can’t stay close to them or they’ll catch on that they’re being followed. We can’t take a lantern ourselves without being seen. It’ll be tricky, but we’ll try.”

  “That sounds like it could work,” Paige agreed, thinking this over. Suddenly the fleeting thought hit her that it had been years since she had been on a horse. She figured it might be wise to warn Chester.

  “I haven’t been on a horse for a long time, Chester, but I’ll do my best,” she said as casually as possible, hoping it wouldn’t cause him to back off from the whole plan.

  At this comment, Chester gave her a puzzled look. “Excuse me for asking, ma’am, but if you ain’t been on a horse for a long time, how do you get around to places you need to go?”

  “Well, I…” Paige said hesitantly, “That would be a little hard to explain.” She saw the bewildered look in Chester’s face and decided it would be best to move on quickly.

  “I don’t think we have much time,” Paige said anxiously, looking out the barn door and seeing that it was almost dark. Chester nodded, quickly bringing Fire and Cinnamon around to the center of the barn and saddling them up. Mounting his horse with ease, he motioned for Paige to do the same.

  Paige stared at the horse, the saddle and the stirrup. Memories of riding when she was younger came vaguely back to her, but she was reminded now that not only had it been a long time, but it had been a good twenty years. The last time she’d been riding was at a summer camp she’d attended as a teen. Inserting her foot into the stirrup, she tried to push up and swing her leg over Cinnamon, who was patiently eyeing her from a slightly turned head. Failing the first time, she placed her free foot back down on the ground and gave it a second try. This time she succeeded, though it took her a minute to get adjusted into the saddle. She could almost swear that both Chester and Cinnamon were silently laughing, but she shook this off, being close to laughing herself.

  Riding quietly out the back door of the livery stable, Chester helped guide Paige to a shed not far from Tuttle’s, which was close enough to watch customers departing, yet hidden enough to keep out of sight. Their timing was lucky, as it wasn’t long before Cyrus emerged from the saloon. He was followed by the woman who had been leaning next to him at the bar. He wrapped a possessive arm around her, which she shook off after a moment, pointing toward the mountains.

  “Ma’am,” Chester said a touch of nervousness in his voice. “Is that who you’re figurin’ to follow, Cyrus Thompson? ‘Cuz he ain’t no one to mess with. That man’s as mean as a snake”

  Paige took little heed in Chester’s hesitation. At this point, she was determined to follow this through, regardless of the risk.

  “We’ll just have to be careful,” she said firmly. Chester sighed, but Paige knew he would go along with the plan at this point, however crazy it might be.

  They watched while Cyrus untied a horse from a post in front of the saloon. He jumped on quickly, snapped his reins and set off toward the east. Keeping a safe distance, Paige and Chester followed carefully. Not far from the center of town, Cyrus paused and dismounted his horse, disappearing for a few minutes inside an abandoned shack. When he emerged he held a bulky sack and a dim lantern. He stuffed the sack in a saddlebag and then climbed back on his horse, holding the lantern in his right hand. From there, he continued to the east.

  Darkness had almost fallen completely and the moon was covered by clouds. While this made it less likely that they would be seen, it also made it more difficult to ride. Without the lantern Cyrus was carrying up ahead, it would have been impossible. As it was, it wasn’t going to be easy. But, cautiously, Chester led the way. Paige followed along, stopping whenever Chester paused and moving ahead slowly when he resumed.

  When Cyrus reached the edge of town, he veered to the left and picked up a narrow trail alongside the mountains to the east. The glow of the lantern grew faint as the distance between them stretched out. But Chester held back, not willing to take any chances. It would be better to lose Cyrus than to fall into a confrontation with him, as much as it would have disappointed Paige.

  Paige followed along, trying to keep a good sense of direction. It would be crucial for her to be able to remember the entire route later on. She knew she would need to find it again on her own before getting her hands on the skeleton key the next time. And yet again, after she did.

  The dark of night masked most of the surroundings, but every now and then a shadowy mass appeared with enough of a silhouette to be identified - a grouping of trees, a heavy wooden fence or small sheds for storing grains. Paige made note of every one of these, tucking the information away for future use.

  Eventually their path began to climb, gradually growing steeper. The flat surface of the trail became increasingly rocky. Chester slowed down, becoming more cautious with the horses. They continued in this manner until Chester finally stopped altogether.

  “I know this section of the mountain, ma’am. Been up here many a time,” he whispered to Paige with a concerned sound in his voice. “It’s gonna get mighty steep and too rough for the horses to handle. Our only chance now is to tie them up somewhere and try to go the rest of the way on foot.”

  “But we’ll lose him, won’t we?” Paige whispered back.

  If Paige could have seen in the dark, she would have noticed that Chester was shaking his head. “I don’t think so. It’s pretty unlikely that he can do this next part on his horse, either. I think we’ll find he’s set aside his horse to wait for him, too. We’ll still have an equal footing.”

  Paige climbed down and handed the reins over to Chester, who took the two horses off to the side, tying them securely to a tree. Continuing on foot, Paige could now feel that the ground had grown extremely rough and uneven. Small rocks dug into her feet and the incline of the terrain became more and more severe as they pushed forward. She was tempted a few times to give up and turn around, as the light from the lantern Cyrus carried could barely be seen. But, quite sure that this was her only chance of getting Jake the information he needed, she continued on. Just as Chester had suspected, they soon passed Cyrus’s horse.

  As the grade of the slope increased, it became necessary to use their hands to balance against bould
ers and trees. Occasionally a small rock would become dislodged and tumble to the ground, causing both Paige and Chester to freeze in place, hoping Cyrus would not suspect he was being followed. Yet, it was not uncommon to hear rocks falling and twigs snapping while out hiking, due to the abundance of wildlife activity. A few minor sounds would go unnoticed.

  For the better part of two hours, they continued to climb, until Paige felt a weariness in her legs that was so intense she wondered if she could go on. It was just about this time that the dim light of the lantern ahead stopped moving forward. Paige leaned against a sturdy tree, looking around at the surrounding landscape. She could see the shadowy outlines of two other trees just a few yards away. Behind her a boulder stood approximately as high as her shoulder. Other than that, only darkness stretched out in every direction.

  “Chester,” Paige whispered, unable to see through the depth of night.

  The answer came from a few feet away. “Right here, ma’am,” Chester replied.

  “Where are we?” Paige whispered again.

  Chester was quiet for a moment, analyzing the distance they’d covered. “We must be close to the top,” he said. “For one thing, look how much higher Cyrus’s lantern appears, even though it’s not that far away. And it’s mighty steep here too, so I think we’re probably near the end of the trail.” Chester was quiet once again, considering all this before continuing. “If I’m right about this, and I think I am, there’s nothing but sheer rock up ahead. He’d have to stop about now.”

  Paige and Chester lingered in the dark, standing motionless between the trees and boulder. It wasn’t long before the sharp sound of metal against rock came down from the direction of the lantern, tentative at first but growing progressively louder as time went on. The strong, repetitive motions echoed through the night with regular precision. As the activity continued, Paige knew the alternating sounds of scraping and falling rocks were what she had hoped to hear.