Beverly Jenkins (31 page)

Moments later her eyes widened in recognition. “Miles Sutton!”

“I think so.” Chase said. “Especially since William said the swindled folks he interviewed described the man as having light gray eyes.”

Cara picked up the broadside and viewed it again carefully.

“Granted, it’s only a drawing,” Chase pointed out, “but take a look at this . . .”

William shoved another likeness across the table. “We had one of our artists do just as Chase suggested to you a moment ago.”

Cara studied the “new” face.

“Damn close, don’t you think?” Chase asked.

She agreed, damn close. “I have to sit down,” she confessed, overwhelmed by the implications. Without a thought, she sank onto Chase’s broad lap. Had Miles really swindled all those people? The description fit, but there were gray-eyed, light-skinned Black men all over the country. Yet something inside told her he had. Call it woman’s intuition, but Cara knew Miles was guilty.

From the other side of the table, William asked, “Do you really think this Sutton could be the man the authorities are looking for? Because if there’s even the remotest chance, I need to wire New York.”

“William, this definitely could be Miles Sutton,” Cara said. She wondered if Virginia was aware of any of this. “And from what I’ve heard, he did come out here from back East, not South.” She turned to her husband. “Have you spoken to Virginia?”

“Not yet because Dreamer and I think he’s involved in something else.

“Wait,” Cara said, putting up a halting hand. She turned her attention to the Lakota. “How do you fit into this?”

He told her and William the story he’d told Chase last winter about the vaccine on the ambushed gold coach. Cara then thought of something. “Chase, remember the night of the dinner
last spring when those two gamblers came in looking for Miles?”

Chase nodded. “Yes. They said he owed him money”

“And they kept referring to Miles as Reverend. Do you think that’s why—and when—these robberies started?”

“We can certainly go back to the banks and have them check the dates of the first few robberies and see if your theory fits.”

“And he made a lot of improvements on the Lady last summer. I wonder if robbing those coaches is how he got the money to do all those repairs.” Another shocking memory surfaced. “Oh, dear. He gave me money for the school expansion fund. Do you think it was part of the stolen loot?”

“Probably,” Chase said.

“Well, I hope the banks won’t want it back. I spent it all.”

Chase chuckled. “I’ll talk to Colonel Grierson.”

“Did the Army know about these ambushed coaches, Chase?” William asked.

“Yes. The banks seemed to think someone had gotten hold of their schedule because the gang seemed to know which coaches to hit and the routes they were taking. So they asked us to look into the matter.”

“But how would Sutton have gotten access to that information?” Dreamer asked.

Chase shrugged. “If we can answer that, we’ll have the last piece of this puzzle.”

“Did your people ever get their medicine?” Cara asked Dreamer.

“Eventually,” he replied, “though not in time to save my sister’s youngest son.”

Chase looked up in shock. Dreamer had not mentioned this loss before now.

“Miles Sutton has much to account for,” the brave finished quietly.

“What happened after you saw the ambush?” William asked.

The question seemed to lighten the Indian’s mood because he smiled wryly. “I figured the information on the men might be valuable to someone and Chase came to mind. I knew the Tenth was in the Oklahoma territories last summer so I wrote. My letter came back with a note from one of his men. It seemed Mr. Army here had gotten himself sent back to Texas.”

Chase glared across the table. “Is there anything you don’t know?”

Dreamer simply smiled.

In answer to Cara’s puzzled gaze, Chase explained. “The troops had a confrontation with some of Payne’s Boomers who were squatting on Indian land. When the Boomers started gathering to voice their disapproval with the soldiers’ orders, our new fresh-from-West-Point lieutenant got scared and ordered the men to open fire on the Boomers. Everybody in camp knew the college boy didn’t know his ass from a prairie dog hole, so the troops looked to me and the other sergeants for confirmation of this order to fire. We shook our heads no, and they drew down their guns.”

“How many Boomers were there?” William asked.

“Close to nine hundred.”

“Nine hundred?” Cara echoed. “How many men did you have?”

“Not nearly enough. Had the men obeyed the order, more than likely we’d’ve been slaughtered.”

“What did the lieutenant do?”

“Calmed down mostly. After that, probably to save face, he sent me back to Davis. Said he didn’t need anyone from the Tenth undermining his command.”

“I think you did the right thing,” Cara defended. “He could have caused a bloodbath.”

Chase met his wife’s fired-up gaze and replied softly, “Why, thank you, Mrs. Jefferson.”

“You’re welcome.” She saucily inclined her head.

The silent interplay was not lost on the table’s other occupants. Dreamer broke in by grumbling, “Army dog, you do not deserve such a woman.”

Chase smiled. “You’re just mad because I found her first. She’s not blind, either, I hope you notice.”

Blind, Cara thought, bewildered.

“My offer still stands,” the Indian replied cryptically.

“I don’t want your ponies.”

“I’ll give you thirty of the finest this side of the Mississippi.”

“No.”

“Forty.”

“You are serious, aren’t you?” Chase answered with amusement.

“She’ll have fine sons.”

“That she will, but they’ll be
my
sons.”

“Would you two stop it? I’m not some deaf brood mare.”

“She has great spirit.”

“Great spirit,” Chase acknowledged.

Cara had to look away lest she be burned by the heat in her husband’s eyes.

William said, “I think you gentlemen should continue the story. How’d you find out Sutton’s identity?”

“After the robbers divided the gold,” Dreamer resumed, “they took their shares and separated. I followed one of them to a town on the Colorado border. I caught him coming out of a saloon one night and he happily volunteered the information I needed.”

Writing furiously the whole time, William stopped and looked up, confused. “He just gave you Sutton’s name?”

Chase interjected with dry amusement, “A person with a knife at your throat inspires you to be talkative.”

William nodded and smiled.

Dreamer continued with a gleam in his eye. “I eventually traced Sutton here.”

“Did you confront him with what you knew?”

Dreamer chuckled. “Nope, I couldn’t. When I found him, he was about a raven’s wing away from being beaten to death by one of the Tenth’s finest.” His tone became serious. “That’s the night I learned about what Sutton had done to you, little sister.”

A confused William looked to Cara. “What’s he mean?”

In the ensuing silence, the sure comfort of Chase’s hand rubbing softly at the tension in her back helped ease the painful memories of that time. In a quiet yet clear voice, Cara told William the story.

When she finished, William cursed softly, adding, “An even greater reason to find this bastard. God, I’m sorry, Cara.”

“Thank you, William.”

Chase’s mildly quelling look from across the table said, Let the matter drop. William complied, but Cara knew William; after he’d heard about the
tragedy, his desire for justice would be burning with a personal light.

Cara directed her next question to the handsome Lakota. “Did you burn down his saloon that night?”

Dreamer’s smile did not reach his eyes. “At the time, it seemed a fit ending to the revenge my brother was exacting.”

“But, Chase, you said you didn’t know who torched the Lady that night,” Cara reminded her husband.

“I truthfully did not know the night you asked. My Lakota brother didn’t offer that bit of information until just now.”

“I counted coup,” Dreamer explained nonchalantly. “Besides, I knew I could always return and kill him later.”

William looked from the Indian to the soldier in surprise. Neither man seemed the least apologetic.

The talk then moved back to the matter of apprehending Sutton. Chase hoped the banks, Colonel Grierson, and the mighty resources of Mr. Fortune’s
Globe
would combine forces and there’d be a lot of people standing in line to get a piece of Sutton’s hide.

“Has Sutton been seen?” Dreamer asked Chase.

“Sheriff Polk said he’s been holed up somewhere outside Nicodemus since right after his place burned down, but nobody’s seen him lately.”

“Think he’d come back and try and hurt Cara again?” William’s expression clearly showed the concern he was feeling.

“Not unless he wants to die,” Chase promised.

“Very slowly,” Dreamer added.

They all talked for a few moments longer, then decided a visit to Sheriff Polk would be the best next move. William began to gather up his notes,
pens, and ink. Chase gave Cara a pat on the hip and she stood. “You coming?” he asked Dreamer.

“Nope. Now that I’ve done most of the real work, I feel safe leaving the rest to you.”

Chase replied with a sarcastic “Thank you.” “Besides,” the Lakota replied, “watching you makes me miss my wife.”

“Good,” Chase retorted. “I hope she’s put pine needles in your bed mat by now.”

“Such a kind brother.” Dreamer turned to Cara. “If you ever tire of this army dog, remember me.”

Cara chuckled. “But you just said you have a wife.”

“I do, but it’s not uncommon among my people to have more than one.”

“No, thank you,” Cara said, smiling. “I don’t think I’d make a very good second wife. I don’t like sharing.”

The look she turned on her husband held just enough wantonness in it to make Chase dearly wish he could put off going into town.

Watching him, a grinning Dreamer of Eagles said, “You need to step outside.”

“I think you’re right,” Chase confessed.

While Cara and William said goodbye, the two other men went out to saddle their horses.

“You’d better write me,” Cara fussed as she and William strolled slowly out to the porch. Tomorrow he’d be catching the train to Denver.

“I will, and you do the same, and please, be careful. This Sutton sounds like he could be very dangerous.”

“Who taught you to shoot a rifle, William?”

“You did, Cara, but you also have a tendency—”

“William, do you see that man sitting out there on horseback?”

He turned to view the waiting Chase. “I do.”

“Then stop worrying. Sutton may be dangerous, but he’s not stupid. I will be careful, though, I promise,” she finished earnestly. She stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his cheek. “That’s to keep you safe.”

Astride Carolina, a slightly impatient Chase viewed the chaste kiss and loudly cleared his throat, but Cara ignored him. She pulled her shawl tighter against the cold and kept talking to William.

“A little green around the eyes, are we?” Dreamer asked. When Chase refused to rise to the bait, the Lakota, also astride his horse and waiting, leaned around to look into his face. What he saw was a man not pleased. “That bad, huh?”

“That bad.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, she does love you. She loves him, too, but in a different way.”

“Doesn’t help.”

The Sioux smiled. “He’s got what, five or six years of knowing her on you?”

“About that.”

“What do you expect her to do, act like he’s a stranger?”

“Maybe.”

Dreamer shook his head. “You do have it bad.”

“I already said that.”

“Have you told her?”

Chase swung around in the saddle to glare at him. “What is this? You’re as nosy as an old woman. Weren’t you leaving?”

“I take that as a no.”

Chase turned back around and refused to speak.

“Well, you should. Saying those three little words can work miracles, believe me.”

“This,” Chase remarked, still watching the scene on the porch, “from a man who used to count
women like coup. Aren’t you the same one who had a pot of stew dumped on his head because you went to see She Who Sings in a courting robe that had figures of your other conquests on it?”

Smiling, Dreamer could only nod in agreement. Like Cara, his wife, She Who Sings, also possessed great spirit.

“Well, advice not withstanding, I do want to thank you for your help with this Sutton mess,” Chase confessed honestly. “I couldn’t have done it without you. If we get a chance, we’ll come up for a visit in the summer.”

“If your government hasn’t massacred us all by then, you know you and Cara will be more than welcome.”

Chase, not proud of the army’s role in the government’s ongoing destruction of the Indian way of life, thought the Sioux’s bittersweet assessment justified.

The men rode off soon after: Chase and William to town, Dreamer of Eagles north to She Who Sings and their home near Pine Ridge.

When they were out of sight, Cara hurriedly reentered the house and closed the door on the wind and cold. The silence that greeted her, once a friend and comfort during the months she’d lived alone, now seemed alien, almost sad in the wake of the activities and voices of the last two days. She could look over at the kitchen table now and see Chase standing there. The memory of a Sioux brave at the foot of the staircase referring to Chase as an “army dog” would remain, as would the look on William’s face when he walked unannounced into the bedroom upstairs.

As she hung up her shawl on the peg by the door, something else came to mind, self-possessed loner or not, she missed people: Sophie, Asa, the
Three Spinsters, her students. She missed the children’s squabbles, the comings and goings. Admittedly, Virginia’s twice-a-week tutoring sessions did much to break up the solitude, as did the occasional stop-bys of Sophie and the Reverend Whitfield’s wife, Sybil. But only now, with the presence of the men still hovering in the room like ghosts, did she come to grips with how terribly lonely she’d really been.

“Cara?”