by Anna Schmidt
“I’ll stay with him,” Lily announced, and the fierce determination in her expression dared anyone to debate that statement.
“I’ll need to ask him some questions,” Cody told the doctor.
“Can it wait until morning?” Doc asked. “I’ll give him something for the pain, and once I do, he’ll likely sleep most of the night. Besides, once I wire that jaw, talking’s not going to be easy.”
Cody was torn. On the one hand, Jake was clearly not up to telling anyone what had happened. On the other, anything he might say could help in the hunt for the culprits who’d done this. And whoever had done this was long gone by now. “If it’s okay, I’ll stay awhile.” He pulled a wooden side chair close to the bed and sat, setting his hat on the floor.
Doc hesitated, then nodded and stepped aside to allow Emma to wash Jake’s battered face. Once she finished, he took her place next to Jake, expertly lifting and moving him while wrapping bandages tightly around his chest and wiring the jaw. Doc mixed a powder in water and fed it to Jake with an eye dropper, holding his mouth closed and forcing him to swallow the concoction. And through it all, Cody felt Lily glaring at him as if somehow this was all his fault.
Once Emma had left with the pan of now-bloody water, Doc packed his bag and snapped it shut. “Nothing by mouth until morning,” he instructed, focusing on Lily. “Wet his lips if needed. Send for me at once if his fever spikes or you see blood coming from anywhere. Understood?”
Lily nodded.
Satisfied, Doc squeezed his way past the hotel workers crowded outside the small room. “Mr. Campbell, I would suggest these folks get to bed.” A moment later, Cody was alone with Jake—and Lily, who seemed intent on pretending he wasn’t there.
“Are you going to hold him all night?” Cody asked.
“No,” she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I thought in an hour or so, Jake and I would dance a jig.”
“I just meant it could get mighty uncomfortable for you both. My guess is eventually he’ll need to move around some, and well, with the headlock you’ve…”
Lily loosened her hold and stroked Jake’s hair from his forehead. She was sitting with her back against the bare wall, which had to be uncomfortable. Cody reached for the pillow that had been pushed aside and stood. “At least put this behind your back,” he said.
She leaned forward slightly, and he stuffed the pillow behind her.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Did he say anything?” Cody asked. “Even just ranting?”
“Just moans because of the pain. You think those two men did this, don’t you? I thought Jake said they were gone.”
“Maybe they came back. The thing is, Lily, the only one who can help me catch whoever did this is Jake. So if he says anything—a word, a name—you’ve got to tell me.”
“You’re right here,” she pointed out.
“It’s likely to be a long night. My suggestion is we take shifts keeping watch over him, and that way, we both get some sleep.”
“But if we need Doc, you’ll go right away?”
“We’ll send somebody. If you’ve never seen a man out of his head with pain, Lily, then it’s hard to understand how difficult he would be for you to handle on your own. He might accidentally…”
“Jake would never hurt me.”
“Not intentionally, but trust me.”
She studied him through narrowed eyes. “And just how do you know so much about this?”
He looked toward the small, high window above the cot. “Before I got into the law and order business, I was a government scout. I knew the Arizona and New Mexico country well, so troops dealing with border skirmishes and raids on isolated settlers came to rely on me when they were ordered out on expeditions.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with—”
“I saw terrible things, Lily—things I wouldn’t want to ever see again. There were times when I was as much a medic as a scout. Sometimes, in spite of everything we could find out before setting off, we were ambushed. Sometimes, the camp was raided at night.” He shook off the memory and looked at her. “Just trust me. Jake might not be in his right head if the pain gets too bad.”
From the kitchen, they could both hear dishes and flatware clinking together. A minute later, Emma brought them each a bowl of elk stew. She left again and returned with a stack of pillows she’d collected, placing one behind Cody’s back, insisting he sit on another, and giving two more to Lily.
“I couldn’t eat,” Lily protested.
“You can and you will,” Emma replied. “Do it for Jake, and try to get some sleep. I’ll be back in the morning to check on you.”
As Emma left, Lily rolled her eyes and allowed Jake’s head to rest on her lap, freeing her hands to accept the bowl and spoon.
“I could feed you,” Cody offered.
“I’ll manage.” She set the spoon aside and held the bowl just under her chin so she could simply drink the stew, pausing between sips to chew the meat and potatoes it contained. Cody couldn’t help but admire her resourcefulness.
Later, Miss Kaufmann came to the door of the room, carrying a lamp that she set on an upended crate by the bed. “If you insist on staying here through the night, please understand this door must remain open at all times. Sheriff Daniels, I would be far more comfortable if you would agree to place your chair as far as possible from Lily. This arrangement is most unseemly, but Mr. Campbell has persuaded me to allow it. Still, there must be rules.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cody said. He stood and placed his chair at the far end of the bed. “Does this suit?”
Miss K pursed her lips. “It is better. Hardly suitable, but better.” She turned her attention to Lily. “I will make sure your shift is covered tomorrow. However, the day after…”
“I know,” Lily said softly. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Very well. I shall bid you both a good night and pray for Jake’s speedy recovery.” She adjusted the wick on the lamp to strengthen its output, touched her fingers to Jake’s forehead, and left.
Cody waited until he heard the head waitress climb the stairs to the staff’s quarters, then got up and lowered the wick. “For Jake,” he said when Lily shot him a look of alarm.
“I think the medicine is working. He seems to be resting,” she said.
“Let’s hope that lasts. Why don’t you try to get some sleep? I’ll take first watch.” He took her bowl and set it with his next to the lamp.
Lily arranged the pillows Emma had brought against the iron foot railing of the bed and rested her head on them. “Good night, Cody,” she said softly.
“Good night, Lily.” He took out the small notebook and pencil he carried everywhere. While he had the time and the memory was fresh, he began to write down the details as he knew them—as well as his thoughts about why Jake Collier might have been attacked and beaten half to death.
* * *
Lily fell asleep almost at once. The lack of sleep from the night before and the stress of the day had exhausted her. Unfortunately, after only an hour, Jake began to move restlessly, flinging his arm up and nearly striking her in the eye. He moaned and bucked, and when she tried to stroke his face to settle him, he lashed out, the force of his blow knocking her sideways.
Cody was on his feet at once. “Get up,” he ordered as he pressed Jake’s arms down against the bed. “Now.”
It looked like it was taking all of Cody’s strength to subdue Jake as she scrambled free of him. But even once she was standing, Jake continued to fight Cody.
“Go wake the kid in the lobby and have him get Doc over here,” Cody managed between dodging blows and tightening his grip on Jake’s thrashing body.
Lily ran through the kitchen and into the lobby. “Tommy,” she shouted, and the boy bolted awake. “Get Doc,” she said. “Hurry.”
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p; The bellboy pulled on his shoes and ran out the front door.
Lily made sure the hotel entrance was closed and returned to the kitchen where she could hear Jake’s incoherent shouts. When she reached the room, his eyes were open, and he focused them on her, which seemed to calm him some. He mumbled something that sounded like “Lily.”
Cody continued to restrain him, and finally, Jake’s body went limp, tears rolling down his battered face. With no concern for her own safety, Lily moved between Cody and Jake. She knelt and cradled his head between her palms. “Shh,” she whispered. “You’re safe, Jake. I’m right here.” She looked up at Cody who stood over them, his breathing rough from the energy it had taken to contain Jake.
Jake gagged, blood pooling in the corners of his mouth, some of it leaking down his chin.
“Do something,” she pleaded as Doc came through the door.
With Cody’s help, they got Jake stretched out on the bed. Tommy brought the lamp closer.
“As I feared,” Doc muttered. “He’s bleeding internally. We need to get him to my office. I don’t have…”
Lily saw that before Doc could finish his sentence, Cody had already lifted the now-docile Jake and headed for the door. “You stay here,” he instructed Lily as he and Doc started across the yard.
“Not on your life,” Lily replied and ran to catch up.
Dressed in her nightclothes and clutching her robe, Doc’s wife, Sarah, met them at the door. She led the way to the rear of the house where Doc had a small operating room. Once Cody laid Jake on the table, Sarah ushered him and Lily back to the front office. “Wait here,” she said.
“But…” Lily protested.
Sarah Waters ignored her as she hurried back to assist her husband, shutting the door to the operating room firmly behind her.
“Jake,” Lily whispered, her hand outstretched toward the door as the tears came. She felt Cody wrap his arms around her, holding her as he stroked her hair, making no attempt to soothe her with words. There were no words. Jake might die. They both knew that. And if he did, would it be her fault? He’d called her name. Was he trying to tell them his beating had something to do with her?
Cody tightened his hold on her. She could feel the strong pulse of his heart against her cheek, her ear pressed to his chest. It had been so long since she’d allowed herself to rely on anyone. Not since Father died.
From the time she was twelve and her mother had remarried, there had been no one she could trust. No one to make her feel safe and protected. Foolishly, she’d thought that Victor Johnson was that person, but she understood now that she’d connected with him out of sheer desperation. Victor had come along at a time when she was struggling to simply survive from one day to the next. Her wages as a shop girl hadn’t been nearly enough to cover even the minimum costs of room and board. When she met Victor, she’d been so desperate, she’d even thought of taking the job the madam at a seedy saloon had repeatedly offered her.
It was the Harvey Company that had saved her. Once Victor left and she’d gone through the money he’d left behind, all the while not knowing where he was or how to contact him, it had been the Harvey Company that had come to her rescue. She’d been passing the headquarters, had seen two girls leave all excited about their new positions, and had decided to go in.
“Lily?” Cody’s voice was soft and close enough to her ear that she could feel his breath.
She gathered herself and gently stepped away from him. “I’m all right,” she said.
He frowned. “Forgive me if I doubt that. You’ve been through a lot today, and now with Jake taking a turn for the worse—”
“He can’t die,” she said fiercely. “Why couldn’t I love him the way he deserves? What’s wrong with me? Jake has been the kindest, most…” She burst into fresh tears.
Cody led her to a pair of chairs near the window, easing her into one and taking the other for himself. He clasped her hands between his. “Now you listen to me, Lily,” he said, his voice sounding like he’d swallowed sand. “Whatever happens, Jake has always known you care for him. Caring the way you do is, in a way, a kind of love, isn’t it? A man would be lucky to know that kind of caring.”
She stared at the way his thumb traced patterns on her palm. The streetlamp glinted on his badge. He was a good man, and he was the law in this town. Maybe it was time to start trusting again.
“You know that man sitting next to you at the counter the other day?”
His thumb stilled. “What about him?”
“I do know him, and maybe he…maybe Jake…” Her voice shook, and she couldn’t find the words.
Cody cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Lily, are you in trouble?”
A completely inappropriate laugh worked its way past the lump blocking her throat. “You might say that,” she admitted.
Just then, the door to the operating room opened, and Doc emerged, wiping his hands on a hand towel.
Cody and Lily stood, and Lily grasped Cody’s hand.
Doc shook his head. Jake was gone.
Chapter 5
They waited a week to bury him. With Aidan’s help, Lily and Emma did everything they could to contact the only family they’d ever heard Jake speak of—a sister in Ohio. Finally, after several days passed with no word, Ellie Swift delivered a telegram to the hotel.
CANNOT COME STOP SENDING MONEY FOR THE FUNERAL STOP MAY OUR JACOB REST IN PEACE STOP
“She wired five dollars,” Ellie had reported as she handed the money to Aidan.
Lily was astounded—not that the sister had not tried to come but that she had said nothing about possibly shipping the body to Ohio for burial. “Surely, he has family buried there,” she raged. “Parents, siblings, grandparents. He should be brought home.”
“I think this was home for Jake,” Emma said. “I think he thought of his friends here at the Palace as his family.”
Lily bit her lower lip. It seemed ever since Jake died, she was never far from tears. “I wish…” She shook off the thought and drew in a breath to steady herself. “Well. I may have disappointed Jake in life, but I will see to it that he has a proper funeral—and that whoever is responsible for this is caught and brought to justice.”
“Cody is working on that, but he has little to go on. We don’t even know where Jake was attacked,” Emma reminded her.
“Then it’s high time we found out,” Lily muttered. She and Emma were spent after another chaotic meal where orders got mixed up in the kitchen and apologies had to be made. The cooks and other kitchen staff did their best without Jake to keep things humming along, but it wasn’t enough. Once Aidan closed the doors for the night, Lily and Emma found chairs on the veranda, drawing in the cool night air as they sat for the first time in hours.
“Aidan has made all the arrangements for the funeral,” Emma said. “Miss K wants us to wear our uniforms without the aprons.”
Lily nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. What had happened that night? Jake hadn’t shown up for work, and the four o’clock train had come and gone with no sign of him. Most of the men who worked at the hotel had taken rooms at Myrtle Davison’s boardinghouse, but Jake had always insisted on being in that small room near the kitchen. When he didn’t show up, George had checked, figuring he was ill or had overslept, and that was the first anyone knew of him being gone. Then the train had come, and they were simply too busy to do more. Aidan was upset, and the dining room was jammed with customers from the time the train arrived and on until closing.
They had all been standing outside the kitchen, trying to decide their next move, when a waitress saw Jake stagger into the yard and collapse.
Why hadn’t they thought to have one of the cooks or other hotel employees search the area to find the culprits who’d done this to him?
She stood. “I think I’ll walk over to the sheriff’s office.”
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p; “At this hour?” Emma’s disapproval needed no further definition.
“It’s just after seven, hardly fully dark. I just want to see if there’s been any news.”
“And what if Cody isn’t there? Maybe he’s out on his rounds or following a lead.”
Lily shrugged. “Then I’ll come back.”
Emma tightened her shawl and stood. “I’m going with you.”
“That’s hardly necessary.”
“Lily, someone attacked Jake and murdered him. Judging by the shape he was in when he stumbled into the yard, this all happened close by. Perhaps in the plaza. You are not walking anywhere alone after dark.”
Lily felt a twitch of a smile. “Very well. Come on, Mother Hen. I’m sure Sheriff Daniels will be delighted to see the two of us.”
They linked arms and started across the plaza, tightening their grip as they realized how deserted the expanse of land was and how quickly the shadows deepened. They focused on the light burning in the front window of the jail and the silhouette of Cody pacing back and forth inside.
When they reached the boardwalk in front of the office, Emma breathed a sigh of relief and knocked on the door. “Sheriff Daniels?” she called. “It’s Emma Elliott and Lily.”
The door swung open, and Cody stood there, studying them. “Has something happened? Something else?”
Lily brushed past him. “Not at all. We just wanted to make you aware of the plans for Jake’s funeral and see what progress you might have made in finding his killer—or killers.”
Cody stepped aside to allow Emma to enter before pulling two chairs together. “Have a seat,” he offered as he returned to his side of the desk, sending a strong message about who exactly would be in charge of this meeting.
Lily was undaunted. “The funeral is scheduled for this Sunday. Both the service and Jake’s burial will take place in the town cemetery on the hill behind the hotel at sunrise. It was Jake’s favorite time of day. He always said a new day meant a new chance to get things right. He was such a decent man.” She folded her hands in her lap and looked at Cody expectantly.