Silver Springs

by Carolyn Lampman

  “You’re welcome,” Angel said, hugging her back. “And good luck to both of you.”

  Angel watched as Peg left her office and walked toward the young man standing at the bar. About half way there, she broke into a run and threw herself into his arms.

  Angel smiled and closed the door. Then she walked back to her desk, pulled out a small ledger, and wrote Paid In Full across the column marked Peg. She’d helped a number of women over the years, giving them a chance at a normal life.

  Six had been working at her first casino, and she hadn’t known what to do with them. If she’d closed the brothel, they would have had no place to go, but the thought of making money from prostitution was beyond repugnant. That’s when she’d come up with the idea of ‘freedom money’. When there was enough to give them a new start, or an opportunity like Peg’s arose, Angel presented what she’d put aside for them with no strings attached.

  By giving the women who worked for her their freedom money and a chance at a new life, Angel had hoped to eventually close the brothel portion of The Green Garter. Unfortunately, as soon as one “girl” left, another one showed up to take her place. Most of them came from bad situations in other brothels, whorehouses and dance halls, fleeing intolerable working conditions and abuse; and Angel didn’t feel right about turning them away. Deep down inside, she knew she couldn’t save them all, but she had to try, and it had become something of a crusade with her.

  “Here’s today’s receipts,” Sam said, walking in and slapping the papers on the desk. “I’m closing down the casino for the night.”

  Angel raised an eyebrow. “From the look on your face, I take it you’re not too happy with me.”

  “Peg and Jayson Fenwick just went upstairs to collect her things.” Sam glared at Angel. “I think she said she was leaving, but she was crying too hard for me to be sure.”

  “We’ve had this conversation before, Sam. What happens between the girls and me is none of your business.”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean I have to approve.”

  Angel winced as he slammed the door behind him. She’d probably get the cold shoulder for a few days until he calmed down. Sam’s soft heart was one of the things she loved most about him. She’d hired him as a combination bartender-bodyguard and gotten a mama bear in the bargain.

  Three quarters of an hour later, Angel filed her paperwork away. She stood and stretched wearily before blowing out the lamp. Darkness greeted her as she opened her office door.

  “Sam?” She frowned. Something was wrong. He might be mad at her, but he always left a light burning on the bar and waited to escort her upstairs.

  Angel pulled a diamond and pearl flower from her hair. It was a six-inch hat pin disguised as a hair ornament and could discourage the most determined man in close quarters. She threaded it through her left cuff, so it was within easy reach, then lifted her skirt and drew her stiletto from its sheath beneath her garter. The knife was lethal, and she knew how to use it. Gripping it in her hand, she stepped cautiously out into the hallway. “Sam, are you all right?”

  Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth while another jerked her arms behind her. The knife clattered to the floor as a rope snaked around her body and legs, completely immobilizing her. She managed to get her fingertips around the head of the pin in her cuff and frantically tried to work it lose as she was dragged into the storeroom.

  “Watch those knees of hers,” said a voice out of the darkness just as the pin came free. “She kicks like a damn mule.”

  “Don’t worry, Jim, I got her all right and tight,” replied another voice from behind.

  The door slammed. “There, she can scream her head off, and nobody will hear her. All the whores sleep on the other side of the building. Nothin’ above us here but the cribs.”

  A match flared in the darkness, and Angel saw the man’s features for the first time. Her mouth went dry. Jim Dugan.

  “Nobody in the cribs this time of night,” he said, touching the match to a lantern wick. “Everyone’s done their screwin’ and gone home.” He leered at Angel. “Everybody but us, honey. Don’t reckon we need one of them fancy beds, though. The floor will work just fine for the likes of you.” Dugan ran a dirty finger around the neckline of her dress. “Can’t hardly wait to see all that pretty white skin.”

  Angel gathered every drop of saliva she could and spit in his face. “Pig!”

  “Why you little...”

  The hard slap snapped her head back against the wall, and blinding pain burst behind her eyes as the pin dropped from nerveless fingers. There was a loud crash, and a roar echoed through the room. At first, Angel thought it was from the agony in her head. Then the hands holding her jerked away. Ox’s face, contorted with rage, swam into view.

  Angel slid down the wall into a heap on the floor, unable to focus on the fight. By the time her vision cleared, Dugan lay unconscious on the floor, and the other man was fighting Ox. He was surprisingly light on his feet, dodging blows and landing ones of his own with focused precision. Finally, he smashed his fist into the other man’s face, and his adversary crumpled to the ground. Angel suddenly caught movement out of the corner of her eye. “Look out, Ox!” she yelled. “Dugan’s got a knife!”

  Ox turned just in time to deflect the murderous lunge aimed at his back. The knife flashed upward, slicing his cheek. One blow from a big fist sent Dugan crashing to the floor.

  Ox stumbled across the room to where Angel lay against the wall. “Ox,” she cried, as he unwound the rope from her body.

  “It’s all right, Angel, they can’t hurt you now.” Ox kicked the rope away and swept her into his arms, just as Sam appeared at the door with his shotgun.

  “Angel? Ox?”

  “Sam!” Angel struggled to sit up. “Oh, thank God. Are you all right?”

  “Little bit of a headache is all. Some son of a bitch hit me with a bottle of whiskey and knocked me out.” He looked at the men on the floor. “They dead?”

  Ox shook his head. “No, but we need the sheriff. This scum attacked Angel.”

  “I’ll go,” Sam said. “We should probably tie them up first.”

  “No.” Angel’s voice was shaky. “We’ll just lock them in the store room until he gets here.”

  “Good idea,” Sam said. “I’ll go get the key.” He looked at Angel. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I…I’m fine,” She said as a large tear rolled down her cheek. “I just…I…” Two more fat tears spilled out of her eyes, and suddenly she was crying.

  Ox jerked his head toward the door. Sam nodded and left as Ox scooped Angel up in his arms. He carried her across the hall to her office, where he sat down with her still cradled against him, rocking back and forth, whispering soft words of encouragement. For the first time in her life, Angel felt safe in a man’s arms. Yet she knew it was an illusion. Any man, even a well-intentioned one like Ox, would try to dominate her if he had the chance. It was just the way they were.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, sitting up and wiping her eyes. “I’ve never cried like that before.”

  “You’ve probably never been attacked like that, either.”

  “No, I— Ox, your cheek!” Angel stared in horror at the blood dripping down his face.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, it’s a knife cut and needs to be attended to.” She squirmed off his lap. “My bandages are in the kitchen. I’ll doctor it there.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.

  In the kitchen, she filled a bowl from the kettle on the back of the stove. “Here, sit down. I hope you don’t need stitches. Doc Caldwell is out of town, and I’m not very good with a needle.”

  “You sure know how to make a man relax,” he said sarcastically as she sponged the blood away.

  “I never professed to be a nurse.” Angel bit her lip as she washed the wound. Though the blood still poured from it, the cut wasn’t as bad as it first appeared. “Looks like he just nicked you. What w
ere you doing here anyway?”

  “I heard some news I thought might interest you.”

  “Really? Open that bottle of whiskey for me, would you?”

  “Sure. Is it so bad you need a drink?”

  “Don’t be silly. I’m out of iodine, and I need something to clean the cut. Now what was this important news?”

  “I was talking to some of the hard-rock miners. They’re planning on pulling up stakes and leaving. Jesus Christ, Angel!” The air whistled through his clenched teeth as she poured whiskey on his cheek. “What are you trying to do? That hurt worse than when he cut me!”

  “You saved my life. I’m just returning the favor.” She resisted the urge to hold his hand and pillow his good cheek against her shoulder until the pain faded. “Be glad I was out of iodine.”

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t dive out in front of a run-away buggy to save you. I wouldn’t have lived through your gratitude.”

  “What did the miners tell you that was so all fired important?”

  “The mines are shutting down.”

  “What? The assays say there’s gold ore all over this mountain!”

  “Right, but it’s too expensive to process. There’s no profit in it.”

  Angel frowned. “Then South Pass City will be a ghost town before long.”

  “Looks that way.”

  “Sheriff Lucien is rounding up Dugan and his friend,” Sam said from the kitchen door.

  “Good.” Angel poured Ox a glass of whiskey. “Sam, first thing tomorrow I want you to go to the Sherlock Hotel and tell Mr. Goff I want to see him.”

  “What for?”

  She calmly put the cork back in the whiskey bottle. “Hell just froze over.”

  Chapter 2

  Angel paused in front of The Green Garter and glanced down the deserted street. Who would have believed South Pass City could die in a mere three months? With a sigh, she turned and went inside the empty casino. The whole place had a sad, deserted look. Dust covers hid the roulette and faro tables, while chairs were stacked on top of all the rest. The shelf in front of the giant mirror behind the bar was nearly empty. One by one, Sam plucked the bottles from the shelf, made a few notes in a ledger, then stored them under the bar.

  “How’s the inventory coming along?” Angel asked, closing the door behind her.

  “Almost done. I saved this for you.” Sam picked up a bottle of whiskey and frowned as he rubbed his thumb across the raised embossing on the glass. “This is the last of your private stock. I thought you might like to keep it for a special occasion.”

  Angel smiled. “Good idea. Maybe we’ll use it to christen the new place when we get set up.”

  “I figured we’d do that with champagne.”

  “Why, Sam, I would never have expected such extravagance from you.”

  He grinned. “Nothing will be too good for The Palisade Palace. It won’t be in a mining town like South Pass City either. We’ll find a place where the customers have a little class and lots of money.” His smile disappeared as he set the bottle on the bar and glanced around. “Ah, who am I fooling? I love this place. There will never be another Green Garter. Maybe I should have bought you out.”

  “Don’t get maudlin on me, Sam. This town is all but empty now; in six months, it will be a ghost town. I was lucky to find a buyer.”

  “I guess so. I couldn’t run it without the girls anyway. I still can’t believe none of them wanted to go with us.”

  “Mmm, well maybe they had something else to do,” Angel said noncommittally as she picked up the bottle of whiskey. “I’ll be in my office if you need me for anything.”

  She left her office door cracked and moved purposefully across the room. Setting the bottle on the corner of her desk, she took out her small ledger and sat down with a satisfied sigh. She flipped open the book, dipped her pen in the ink, and wrote Paid In Full across the four remaining columns with a flourish.

  Then she leaned back in the chair and permitted herself a rare moment of celebration. Another victory in her secret crusade. Four more women had a chance at life again, were free to start over, to find happiness. When she’d called them into her office this morning, they had all expected their walking papers. Instead, she’d given them their freedom money and a chance to put their past behind them.

  “Howdy, Sam,” said a familiar voice through the half-open door. “Do you know anybody named Angelica Brady?”

  Angel’s head jerked up. What in God’s name did Ox want with Angelica?

  “Can’t say I ever heard of her,” Sam said after a moment. “Why?”

  “The postmaster in Rock Springs gave me a letter to deliver to her. Seemed pretty sure I’d find her here.”

  “Some of the girls don’t use their own names. Could be Miss Angel knows who she is.”

  “Good thought. Where is she?”

  “In her office. Go on back.”

  Angel stuffed the small ledger into a drawer and grabbed her pen. By the time Ox stuck his head through the door a few seconds later, she appeared to be diligently working on her business accounts.

  “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said.

  Angel looked up with a smile. “Nothing that can’t wait until later.”

  “How’s my favorite blackjack dealer?” Ox asked cheerfully as he took off his hat and sat down across the desk from her.

  “Out of business, in case you couldn’t tell.”

  Ox grinned. “The place did look a mite empty when I came through. I thought maybe you were doing some redecorating in the three weeks since I was here last.”

  “Of course. Vacant casinos are all the rage now,” she said. “How was your trip up the mountain?”

  “About the same as usual, except I only had half a load.” Ox sighed. “This is my last run. There’s not much sense in hauling freight when there’s nobody left to buy it.”

  “You’ll find another route easily enough.”

  “I know, but I always kind of liked it here. I suppose you’ll be leaving soon, too.”

  “As soon as I tie up all the loose ends. The girls are already gone. Sam and I should be finished up by next week. I have to admit though, I’m really tempted to wait around until Mr. Goff arrives to take possession of his new casino. He hasn’t been back since I agreed to sell it to him three months ago. He sent the money by courier.”

  “After you got done with him, he probably figured you’d try to get out of the deal.” Ox grinned. “He was convinced he’d taken gross advantage of you.”

  “I know, and he wound up paying me twice what it was worth. Maybe it will teach him not to underestimate women.”

  “That reminds me. Since the post office was moved to Atlantic City, the post master in Green River gave me the mail for South Pass. I’ve got a letter here for somebody named Angelica Brady. Do you know where to find her?”

  “I can see that she gets it.”

  “I thought you probably could.” He pulled the letter out of his pocket and looked at it. “Funny how much Angelica sounds like Angel.”

  She shrugged. “Coincidences like that happen all the time.”

  “I guess so,” he said as he handed her the letter. “You know, it’s kind of strange. I don’t think I’ve ever heard your last name.”

  “Don’t use one.” Let him speculate all he wanted. Unless she admitted to being Angelica Brady, he’d never be positive his suspicions were correct.

  “That’s kind of peculiar, isn’t it?”

  “In my business, you don’t need a last name. Besides, it’s no worse than being called Ox.” Angel glanced at her sister’s familiar handwriting on the envelope and wondered if it contained bad news. Alexis’s letters had been increasingly agitated lately. She nonchalantly dropped the letter onto her desk as though she had no interest in it. “Do you expect me to believe your mother actually named you after an over-grown steer?”

  Ox chuckled. “You know what I love about you, Angel?”

  Her heart lurch
ed. Why did he have to say things like that? “I haven’t got a clue.”

  “Nobody ever puts a dent in that armor of yours. Nothing ever seems to bother you.”

  “Life’s too short to worry about what other people think.”

  “That’s true enough.” He nodded toward the bottle on her desk. “Planning on getting drunk?”

  “Hardly. It’s the last bottle I own. Everything else belongs to Mr. Goff.” Angel pulled two glasses out of a drawer. “Join me for a drink?”

  “That depends, is this some of that special stock you keep under the bar, or the cheap rotgut you sell the miners?”

  “What do you think? Sam just handed it to me and suggested I save it for a special occasion.”

  “Ah, the good stuff. Shall I do the honors?”

  “Please.”

  Angel watched Ox open the bottle and pour the amber liquid. Dented? Hell, he was the one man who could cut right through her armor and steal her heart.

  Ox smiled his big, lovable grin as he handed her a glass and raised his own in a toast. “To the best friendship I ever had. May neither of us ever forget it.”

  “To friendship.” Friendship? How can feelings like these be so one-sided? Instead of wallowing in “if onlys,” as she was tempted to do, Angel sipped her drink and studied the depression in Ox’s rugged cheek. The scar hadn’t marred his face a bit. In fact, it looked almost like a dimple, one that deepened beguilingly when he smiled. It was going to be tough to say good-bye.

  “Why so serious?” he asked.

  “Oh, I was just thinking how much I’m going to miss all this.” She waved her hand to encompass the room. “The Green Garter has been good to me.”

  “I know. I almost feel like I’m losing my home.”

  “You should. You’ve stayed here often enough.”

  “Pretty hard to resist a deal like you made me. A soft bed whenever I was in town and as much food as I could stuff in.” He patted his stomach. “You’re about the best cook in Wyoming Territory. If you ever get tired of running a casino, you could open a restaurant.”

  “I tried that once. It may be more respectable, but it isn’t anywhere near as profitable, especially in a place like this where men would rather gamble than eat. I run an honest game, and they flock to my tables. As long as there aren’t many players like Swede, who win more often than they lose, I make good money.”