Shadow of Deceit (Shadow #2) (6 page)

  Julia stepped off the train in Hays, walked from the train station to the livery, rented a buggy, and then drove the ten miles to Victoria.   She parked in front of her friend’s home on Victoria Road.  She knocked, and a woman about her own age, wearing an apron, balancing a baby on her hip, opened the door.

“Julia!” the woman cried.  “Come in.  I hoped you were on your way here.”

“Hello, Lydia,” she greeted.  “Is something wrong?  Where’s Billy?”

“He’s in the back bedroom.  They shot him two days ago.”

“Oh no!” Julia ran past Lydia to the room in the back.  It was here that Julia stayed after the landlord in Hays had evicted them from their shack for not paying the rent.   She opened the door and gasped.  Billy lay asleep with bandages around his shoulder and chest.

“Billy!  Are you all right?” she cried, frantically.

Billy opened his eyes.  “Julia?”  He smiled.  “They got me, but it’s only a scratch.  It was a warning.  The bullet went through my shoulder.”

Julia sat on the edge of his bed.  “See what comes with playing cards with killers?  Have you learned a lesson at all?”

Billy nodded.  “I’m done with gambling, honest.  But they said next time they’d kill me.”

“No, they won’t.  I managed to get the five thousand dollars.  Who do I pay?” Julia asked.

“They hang out in the Horseshoe saloon in Hays.  Their names are, Killer Mulvany, Jed Bruenner, and Hank Barth.”

“Killer?” Julia repeated.

“His real name is Kilroy, but everyone calls him Killer.”

“I’m going to pay them and then we’re going to Abilene.  Miles has a cute house there and he says we’re welcome,” Julia said.

“Where did you get the money?” Billy asked.

“A very warm-hearted person gave it to me after hearing your story,” Julia said.  “You can thank him when you get to Abilene, we’re betrothed.

“I’ll ride to Hays first thing in the morning—”

“Ha!” Billy laughed.  “Do you think they’ll be there in the daytime?”

“No?” she asked.  “Where are they in the daytime then?”

“I don’t know.  I just know where they hang out at night.”

Julia sighed.  “I’ll have to go at night then.”

“Alone?” Billy asked.

“I suppose so.”

“Wouldn’t Geoffrey go along with you?”

“I would rather not involve anyone else.  Lydia and Geoffrey have given us the use of their home twice now.  I can’t impose on them anymore.  They have a baby to care for, who I haven’t had time to visit with yet. I’ll come back later to visit with you,” she said. “Rest up, because we’re going back to Abilene later this week.  I have the tickets all ready.”

After playing with Lydia’s baby, Edward, she sat and had tea with Lydia.  “How did Billy get shot?  Did they come here to the house?”

“No,” Lydia answered.  “I told Billy to stay inside, but he got restless and rode to Hays to visit the girl he’s sweet on, Lida Andrews.”

“He didn’t!  I took pains to hide him and he does that?  So they don’t really know he’s here do they?”

“No.  They haven’t come to Victoria.” Lydia said.

“So then he came back with a hole in his shoulder.” Lydia shivered.  “I had the doctor check him, and he said it was a flesh wound and that he’d heal quickly.”

“I have to go find them and pay them off,” Julia said.  “I’m a bit nervous about it.”

“I’d have Geoffrey go with you, but he’s in Topeka picking up a new steam tractor.  He’ll ride it home on a train, he just left this morning.”

“I’ll go alone, but I’ll need a gun.  Just in case,” Julia said.

The next evening about an hour before sundown, Julia drove her rented buggy to Hays. She tied the horse Lydia had loaned her behind the buggy. She drove to the livery, returned the buggy, hopped on Lydia’s horse, and rode to the Horseshoe Saloon. 

She loaded the gun Lydia had loaned her, slid down from the horse, and regarded the saloon.  She’d never been in one before.  Even though she could plainly hear the voices of women inside, she knew that no respectable woman walked into saloons.  She stood outside and tried to embolden herself to enter.  She heard lively piano music, could hear glasses clinking, and male voices laughing.  She took a deep breath, stood up straight, and opened the door.

When she stepped inside, everything seemed to stop, even the piano player halted for a minute.  All eyes were on her.  She walked cautiously to the bar near where the bartender stood, and asked how she could find, Killer Mulvany, Jed Bruenner, or Hank Barth.” The barman stopped wiping the bar, and nodded to a round table in the corner near the front window.  Julia thanked him and headed to the table.

“Well,” one of them said.  “Lookie what we have here.”  He reached for her but she backed away. 

“I’m Billy Croft’s sister.  I’m here to pay off his debt.”

One of them stood, not the one who tried to grab her, but one with an unruly beard and mustache.  “You got five big ones?”

“Yes.”  She handed him an envelope. And she saw him counting it.

The man who tried to grab her stood.  He had thinning, black hair, and while he was clean-shaven he had a scar that ran from his eyebrow to his chin.  “What about our interest, missy?”

“I’m sorry, that’s all I have,” Julia said.  “Please, now leave us in peace.”

The clean-shaven man laughed, “C’mon, give the Killer a little something for having to wait so long to get the money.”

“I told you,” Julia said, “that’s all the money I have.”

“Maybe it ain’t money I want.” He looked her over from head to toe.  “Yer a mighty fine lookin’ woman.  Mayhap we can do some personal dealin.’” He winked.

“Sorry, I’m betrothed.”  Julia turned and ran out of the saloon, jumped onto the horse and sped towards Victoria. 

Several times as she galloped away she thought she heard another horse or horses behind her, so she nudged her horse faster.  It was a cloudy night and extremely dark.  Alone and shaking with trepidation, she galloped faster, although it was hard to see in the dark. She was sure someone followed her.

She dug her heels into the horse, and flew at a pace she’d never ridden before.  She tried to swallow but the lump in her throat prevented it, and she heard the noise of fear in her ears due to the blood rushing through the small veins.  The wind whipped at her face and hair, she couldn’t see where she was going, and she hoped the horse knew its way.  Her heart beat faster than it ever had.

She peered behind her but could see nothing in the dark.  What if she couldn’t outrun them? She knew she was far enough ahead of anyone who might be chasing her, because she couldn’t hear anything coming behind her.  This caused her to urge the horse even faster.

She could not see the trail.  Her only hope was that the horse knew its way home.   She just held onto the reins.  The sensation of moving so fast and not be able to see a thing, was scary.  If a branch were sticking out, it would smack her in the face.  After thinking about that happening she ducked lower on the horse, which caused her to loosen her hold on the reins.  It mattered little to her that she didn’t hold the reins tightly, because her horse ran independently, anyway.

Julia sensed by how long she’d ridden that she must be close to Victoria, when without any notice, her horse tripped over something, and she went flying through the air.

Caleb received another letter from the mail order ad.  He threw it with the others.  He walked out to his crafting shop and began working on the table for Jonas and Ivy.  He’d just finished the final coat of shellac when he heard someone ride in.  He stuck his head out of the doorway and was shocked to see Violet.

“Violet!” he called. 

She was just sliding off her horse. 

“Hi Caleb,” she replied.  She walked over to his crafting shop and peeked in.  “Is that the table for Ivy and Jonas?  It’s gorgeous.”

“Do you think they’ll like it?”

“I do.  I know just where they’ll place it, right in front of the sitting room window with a lamp or something on it,” she said.  “Is it still wet?  I’m moved to touch it.”

“Don’t touch it, I just put on the final coat of shellac.”

“And what’s this?” she asked pointing at the half-finished toy for Zoe.

“It’s a toy for Zoe,”

“I just love Zoe.  She calls me Auntie Vi.”

Caleb couldn’t imagine why she was visiting.  She never had before.  His face must have shown his curiosity. 

“I’m here for a reason, of course.  I want to help you go through those mail order letters.  I’ll help you judge the people,” she said.

Caleb really didn’t want to even open the letters.  He’d had such a disappointment with Julia he was afraid to get involved with anyone.  But, she’d come out here all on her own just to help him, how could he refuse?

“Let’s go,” he said, leading her to the house.  He introduced her to Elsie who was making lunch. 

“Nice to meet you Violet, please stay for lunch.  I’ve made too much again.”

“Thank you,” Violet said, “I’d love to.”

“I can’t get used to cooking for one person.  I had 9 children,” she said.  “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Caleb led Violet to his parlor.  She sat on a sofa and he opened his desk that stood in the corner of the room, and placed the letters onto her lap.   He took a seat beside her.

Violet sorted the letters by postmarks, and ripped open the first.  She read it aloud:  “My name is Martha Rankin, as you can see from my return address, I’m from Virginia.  I would not mind your limp if you are a good person.  I would love to live in Kansas and get to know you better.  I received a large response from my ad, as you might imagine, but your letter stood out because of your honesty.  I hope to hear from you.  Martha.”

Violet ripped open the second letter.  She read it aloud:  “Kansas!  I’ve always yearned to go west.  I like that you own your own home.  Here in Pennsylvania, we have cold winters.  Does Kansas have cold winters?  Anyway I’m willing to correspond with you, but feel it fair to tell you I’m also corresponding with two others.   Ellen Hodge.”

Caleb sighed.

Violet ripped open the third letter. “Hmm this is from Martha again.  She read it aloud.  “When I didn’t hear back from you I was disappointed, so I answered another offer I’d received.  We corresponded a short time, and he sent me a ticket to Kansas City, Missouri.  When I got there, he turned out to be a drinker, and an abusive man.  I stayed at the hotel there, and attended church where a kind woman offered me a room in her boarding house.  I’m in a sort of dilemma since I can’t go back home—I sold my house to move to Missouri.  The woman doesn’t charge me a great deal, but my money will soon run out.  I thought I’d take a chance that you might still be interested.  It wouldn’t take me long to ride out on the stage or train.  I hope you are still interested.  God bless you, Martha.”

Violet folded the letter.  “I like Martha.  She sounds like a Christian woman.  You could at least write to her and ask her a few questions.  Who knows?”

Caleb studied Violet.  She’d become the best friend he had and he loved her for it.  “You really think I should?” he asked.

“Definitely.  Shall I help you write the letter?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied.

Violet and Caleb put their heads together and wrote the letter to Martha.  Caleb was curious as to whether or not she had ever been married, since she’d owned a house.  Did she have children?  What was her age?  And then he told her that while he hated to be so selective, he needed a Christian woman.  Was she a good Christian?

They had just finished the letter when Elsie called them to lunch.  Violet joined Caleb.   While they ate they joked about the women.

“Ellen seemed more interested in the weather in Kansas than in what I was like,” Caleb said.

“She didn’t sound very sincere,” Violet laughed.  “And to tell you she is corresponding with two others, what nerve.”

“How did you perceive Martha?” Violet asked.

“She sounds desperate, but perhaps not too smart to get herself into a situation like that.  Traveling to Missouri without a longer correspondance was a bad idea.  Don’t you think?” Caleb asked.