by P. Creeden
Both ladies nodded, following every word he’d said. It all sounded reasonable so far. Clenna said, “Understood.”
Mr. Gordon nodded. “Excellent. There is one other stipulation. To keep your reputation and to make you less vulnerable while in training and working with a male partner, we require that you get a marriage certificate before leaving for your first case. Judge Hotchkiss is ready to annul the marriage upon your return, should you wish to do so. Are you prepared to follow through with this stipulation?”
Black spots crowded Josie’s vision, and the room tilted. She gripped the arms on the chair where she sat to keep herself from falling to the floor. She blinked several times, trying to see clearly.
“Marriage?” Clenna asked, suddenly standing. Josie peered up at her, surprised that the redhead had the wherewithal to stand. “How can that be possible? I’m Catholic. I don’t take the sanctity of marriage lightly.”
Mr. Gordon cleared his throat, frowning. “Of course, Miss Murphy. We don’t take the sanctity of the institution lightly either. I assure you that the marriage is on paper only and easily annulled upon your return.”
Clenna’s hands formed into fists at her sides as her face grew even redder. “Surely you must be joking. There have been several female agents out of this office in the past year. Are you telling me that all of them have been married to their training partners?”
Nodding slowly, Mr. Gordon pointedly met gazes with each of them. “Yes, I am. Every female agent out of this office for the past year has been married to their training partners. Not one of them was allowed on their first case without a marriage certificate.”
A small squeal escaped Clenna as she fell back into her seat almost as quickly as she had stood. She chewed her bottom lip, her eyes filling with tears as she met gazes with Josie.
Josie cleared her throat, trying to force the lump down. She would have swallowed again, but her mouth felt much too dry. She returned her gaze to the man sitting behind the desk. “This is just a contract, on paper only, then. We are not expected to perform wifely duties?”
Mr Gordon frowned. “Absolutely not. I assure you that all detectives in our agency are gentlemanly. They would never act untoward to a lady. They understand that their responsibility to you is to train and protect you. Your responsibility is to learn and stay dedicated to their instruction. Nothing more.”
Slowly, Josie’s nerves settled down, but her stomach remained twisted as she stared at the hardwood floor. Mr. Gordon sat in his chair patiently as both of them took a long moment to think about what he’d last said. Finally, Josie looked back up again. “I’ve already promised to be committed to the agency, Mr. Gordon. And I don’t go back on my promises, either.”
Mr. Gordon’s face softened at her response. He stood and offered her a hand to shake—the same, as she imagined, he would offer another man, since it was bad manners to offer a hand to a lady. Somehow that gesture actually helped untie the knot in her stomach. She respected and liked this Mr. Gordon, and if Mr. Hogge was any indication of what the other agents were like here, she believed that she could belong here.
Clenna drew herself up to her feet as well. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Gordon, I’d like to consult with my priest and pray about this. I hadn’t considered that this would be a stipulation to my becoming an agent. I want to say yes, but I want to be sure that I’m not committing a mortal sin.”
Mr. Gordon tilted his head slightly. “Of course, Miss Murphy. That’s perfectly reasonable. Please see Marianne if you decide that becoming an agent and all that goes with it is right for you.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Thank you so much, sir.”
Then Mr. Gordon met eyes with Josie again. “If you could move your things to one of the rooms here in the main house from the boarding house, that would be good. I like my agents to be able to leave at a moment’s notice for cases. Although I have a case that I believe will be perfect for an agent with your talents, Dr. Roth, I will need to telegraph our client and make arrangements to send two agents. As soon as I hear back from him, you’ll be on a train.”
Nervousness filled Josie. So fast? She hadn’t expected things to move at the speed with which they were going. She nodded. “Yes, sir. I will return with my belongings presently.”
Clenna’s sad eyes met hers as they both made their way to the door. How had this happened? This had been Clenna’s dream since childhood, and Josie’s snap decision. How was she leaving the office a Pinkerton Detective and not Clenna?
Chapter 6
Josie
The very next morning, Marianne showed Josie to the table in the kitchen where Lucy prepared breakfast. The smells of pancakes and sausage assaulted her the moment they entered the swinging door. Sitting at the table were Mr. Gordon, Mr. Mercer, and Mr. Hogge. All three of them stood the moment they entered the room.
Mr. Hogge’s blue eyes went wide, and he stopped chewing the food he had in his mouth. Josie’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. Marianne put an arm around her shoulders. “Ben, Billy. I want you both to meet our newest agent-in-training, Josie Roth. She’s a doctor.”
“A doctor?” Ben coughed a bit on his sausage as he choked and grabbed a hold of his glass of milk to take a sip to wash down what he had in his mouth. He glared at Billy as the three gentlemen sat back down to their plates of food.
As Josie sat, Miss Lucy came over and set a plate of food down in front of her beside the silverware already there. It was definitely a manly breakfast, quite a bit more food than Josie would have chosen for herself. She was afraid she’d be unable to eat even half of it with her nerves.
“Miss Josie, I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that I already received word back from the client, so we’ll be shipping you off to the Arizona Territory today,” Mr. Gordon said as he wiped around his mouth and his neatly trimmed beard.
Mr. Hogge’s fork clattered against his plate as he stared up at Mr. Gordon. Mr. Hogge glanced her direction and then back at him. “So soon?”
“There’s no time like the present,” Mr. Gordon said as he stood with his empty plate. “If you all will excuse me, I have a few more arrangements to make.”
“May I have a word with you, please?” Mr. Hogge asked him as he stood from his chair as well.
Mr. Gordon lifted a brow. “Of course.”
They exited through the swinging door together, leaving Josie feeling even more nervous. She moved her fork around her plate, uninterested in actually eating anything now.
“A doctor and a Pinkerton agent, eh?” Mr. Mercer said with a wide smile. “You’re a woman of many talents.”
Josie got the distinct impression that Mr. Mercer flirted with her. She frowned disapprovingly at him. “I keep my talents to myself, Mr. Mercer.”
He lifted a brow at her but backed away a bit. “That’s good. Detectives should be good at keeping secrets. Also, you may want to consider eating everything on your plate. You’ll need your strength for the journey ahead, and agents often don’t know when their next meal might be.”
A frown tugged at Josie’s lip while she glanced over at Marianne. The woman continued to drink from her mug of coffee while she nodded slightly and offered a small smile.
Josie let out a slow breath and then began tucking into her food. She was committed to being the best agent she could be, and that meant taking instruction in stride, no matter which agent the instruction came from.
Billy
The moment the door to Archie’s office closed, Billy rounded on him. “How could you take that little bit of nothing of a woman and put her into the agency? She can’t be a detective. She’s small and frail and barely weighs a hundred pounds soaking wet.”
Archie huffed a laugh as he came around his desk and sat in his chair and then motioned for Billy to do the same. Billy’s hands fisted at his sides. He wasn’t interested in sitting just yet. With a disappointed sigh, Archie folded his hands under his chin. “I’m glad you feel that way, Billy, because I’ve decided to
make you her new partner. You’ll leave with her on the train in a few hours.”
Billy blinked, his knees weakening. “What?”
Suddenly, he needed that chair. He moved to the front of it and sat down heavily. Archie lifted a brow at him. “She is ideal for the mission that I have, as a doctor. Camp Verde in the Arizona Territory is in need of a doctor, and that’s the perfect reason for her to arrive, undercover.”
Billy couldn’t stop blinking at Archie.
“Like most camps, there are both soldiers and regular civilians living together in the fort, making it like any other city. Only it’s in Indian territory. Lieutenant Jones assures me that they have good relations with the Indians in their territory. However, there is talk of men taking up arms and trying to seize more ground from the tribes nearby. They’ve had a drought from the end of summer into the winter, and spring isn’t looking too good either. The people are getting restless, and the lieutenant fears another incident like the massacre that happened at Camp Grant,” Archie said, leaning back in his chair.
“You’re telling me that you’re sending Josie into hostile Indian territory?” Billy shook his head, his ire rising again.
Another sigh escaped Archie’s lips. “Did you hear all of what I just said? Or did you just focus on that one point?”
“I heard it all,” Billy assured him. “Not that I like it one bit.”
Archie tilted his head. “So, you’re already protective of your new partner agent, and you’re on a first name basis with her?”
Heat rushed to Billy’s cheeks and he shook his head as he stammered, “Um... No... I...” He hadn’t realized he’d called Josie by her first name only, out loud.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Archie silenced him. “No matter. You do understand what it means to become Miss Josie’s partner, right? I’m sure you’ve at least heard the rumors from Ben?”
Suddenly, Billy’s heart leapt in his chest and his gut twisted. Marriage? No. He couldn’t do that to her. She’d hate him. “I... I can’t marry her.”
That brow on Archie’s face raised up halfway to his hairline. “Really? You can’t? Should I assign her a different agent then? Maybe Ben Mercer?”
“No!” Before he’d even given it a thought, Billy shot to his feet. His hands slapped the top of Archie’s desk nearest him. “You can’t do that; you can’t force her to marry anyone.”
Archie’s hands steepled under his chin again as he leaned forward and set his elbows on the desk. He narrowed his eyes at Billy, who still stood over him. For a long moment, the man just glared at Billy until Billy got the hint that he needed to settle down and sit if he wanted to continue this conversation. Once he did, Archie continued, “I assure you. Josie Roth is not being forced to marry. She has already agreed to the terms of becoming an agent in this office. She understands, as it seems you do not, that this is merely a contract on paper. The marriage can be easily annulled upon your return from Camp Verde. Now, the only question here is whether you will be signing the marriage certificate or if Ben will be.”
The blood drained from Billy’s face. It had come down to this simple choice. And right now, at least, Archie was giving him the chance to make the decision. Billy hated it. He didn’t want any of this life for Josie. It was too dangerous, and marriage should have been left up to her to decide. Billy blinked. That was the answer. “I’d rather that she decided.”
Archie’s other brow lifted and joined the one closer to his hairline. “If she chooses you, then you will agree to becoming the training agent in charge? Her partner?”
Billy swallowed hard as he nodded.
“And if she should choose Ben to be her agent for training, you will not have a fit about it, the way you just did?”
At the thought of that happening, Billy’s heart broke in his chest. But he nodded again, nonetheless. “I will abide by her decision.”
“Okay, then,” Archie said, moving to his feet. “Let’s go back to the kitchen and find out what Miss Josie would like to do.”
Every part of Billy felt heavy and sluggish, and he felt much too weak to move as he trudged back to the kitchen. He didn’t want to hear her answer. Ben was a handsome man. Even while they’d been on the train for their guarding case, the ladies on the train had been very talkative with him. Ben was outgoing and didn’t have a problem talking back. Billy had never been able to say much around ladies like that. He wasn’t one for idle chat.
Feminine laughter pealed out of the kitchen door as the headed back in. And Ben stood at the table with one foot on the bench, his hands flailing as he told a story. Even though Miss Roth was still finishing her food, she sat with her attention on Ben and a small smile on her lips. Billy’s cracked heart fractured further.
Archie entered the kitchen, spreading his arms and motioning for Ben to have a seat. He motioned for Billy to do the same, to sit on the same side of the table as Ben. Then he focused in on the ladies seated at the table. Nausea gripped Billy, threatening to have breakfast return on him. He couldn’t even meet eyes with Josie. He didn’t want to see it when she picked Ben for the job.
After clearing his throat, Archie addressed Josie. “Dr. Roth, as I said earlier, we have an assignment ready for your specific talents. Camp Verde in the Arizona Territory is in need of a doctor. The drought has caused all manner of illness in the area, and they don’t have the care that they need. Additionally, there is the requirement for you to work in your detective capacity to figure out who the upstarts are that want to start hostilities with the Apache Tribes in the area at the camp. The lieutenant there wants to stop a conflict before it starts.”
Josie set down her fork, her eyes wide. “This sounds like an amazing opportunity.”
“Yes, I believe it is providence that you have come to us at the time when we needed you for this mission,” Archie said with a smile. “Now, all that is needed is for you to decide who will be your training partner for this case. Ben was a sharpshooter in the War, and Billy has worked extensively as a bodyguard and fireman. Both are gentlemen who have extensive training and stellar records as Pinkertons. Normally, we choose your training partner, but at the insistence of one of them, we are offering the choice to you.”
Billy peered up at Josie through his eyelashes, letting his gaze slip past her when she fixed her eyes on him. She looked both nervous and thoughtful. “I’m afraid I may have asked too much of Mr. Hogge. I am already in his debt and would hate to burden him further—”
“You’re no burden!” Billy’s stomach flipped. He hadn’t meant to interrupt her nor had he meant to yell so loud. “I mean, you’ve never been a burden to me, and it would be an honor to be your training agent, if you would have me.”
Her face softened as her eyes crinkled in a smile. “That almost sounds like a proposal.”
Billy’s face flushed, and he shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry if I offended—”
“I’m not offended,” Josie said softly, and then she fixed her gaze on Archie. “I believe that I would like to have Mr. Hogge as my training agent, if he is willing.”
“I’m willing!” Billy said and then winced as he realized his voice had gotten too loud again.
The corners of Archie’s eyes wrinkled as he shook his head at Billy, as if telling him that he should have just accepted the offer in the first place instead of making Josie decide. But for Billy this made all the difference. Josie had chosen him, and because of that, Billy’s burden on her would be lighter. He hoped to help her in every way he could as they worked this case together—he intended to take his duty to honor and protect her very seriously.
Chapter 7
Josie
Oppressive heat pressed down on them the moment the train pulled into the station and stopped. For the end of April, ninety-degree weather was unheard of for both Denver and Boston, where Josie grew up. She fanned herself as they dismounted the train. Mr. Hogge—that is, Billy—barely allowed her to carry her medical bag, wanting instead
to carry both it, and the both their luggage. As big and as strong as he was, he still couldn’t manage all the luggage himself, she knew. And besides, a doctor should carry her own medical bag. Fragile bottles and instruments were held within, and the bag needed to be carried with special care, and he yielded to her insistence.
Her navy traveling dress was much too dark for the amount of sunshine that they endured in the Arizona Territory. She was thankful for the shade offered by the stagecoach when they found one heading toward their destination. Camp Verde was still under construction when they arrived. Several farms surrounded the main town area and lined both sides of the main road of travel. They arrived just before the sun lowered itself completely from the sky.
Billy gave the coach driver a few dollars to help him with moving the luggage to the quarters where we’d be staying. The military outpost was a strange combination of tents and permanent buildings, and the hospital area was no exception. Josie followed Billy as he put their things in a smaller tent that was attached to a large, permanent structure that housed twelve hospital beds, two separated by curtained partitions. Josie frowned when they entered the room and found all the beds occupied. She stepped up to the first bed. “Hello, I’m Dr. Roth. How are you feeling?”
The trust she had for Billy to take care of their things and get them in the right place was equivalent to the trust she would have had for her own father. It allowed her the freedom to get to work right away. As she spoke to the patients, she learned a great many things, and got started on providing the care that they each needed.
Unfortunately, the area suffered from long-term drought. Two years ago, the former camp, Camp Lincoln, had been plagued with a bout of malaria. Several of the patients were killed by the silent disease, as well as the former doctor himself. Then, last year the drought began. Though it helped with the mosquitoes in the immediate area, everything else was falling to ruin. Wells were drying up, the river was getting dirtier, slower, and smaller.