Longarm 245: Longarm and the Vanishing Virgin (22 page)

Longarm nodded. “Been there a few times myself.”

“But I got impatient, and”—she stared down at her hands again—“and started to go back into my father's study to ask Jonas what was taking so long. The door was cracked open a bit, just enough for me to hear....”

She swallowed hard and didn't go on. Longarm wanted to prod her, but instinct told him to take his time, to let her tell the story at her own pace.

“They were talking about the survey for a new railroad line my father is going to build,” Nora finally continued. “The government is going to buy the land and then grant it to the railroad for a right-of-way. Jonas has seen to that. He's a committee chairman, you know.”

Longarm just nodded.

“But the company that owns the land, the company that will make millions of dollars from the sale ... it's not real. It's actually just ... Jonas and ... and my father.”

“So your father's going to sell the land to the government, and then it'll turn right around and give it back to him?”

“That's right,” Nora said with a nod.

“A pretty neat swindle,” said Longarm.

“But that's not all of it. You see, the land's not really any good for a railroad. The grades are too steep, or something like that. I don't know much about such things, even though I grew up around them.”

Longarm's brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Then why go to all the trouble of selling it to Uncle Sam in the first place?”

“Because once it's discovered that the land is no good, Father and Jonas can get the government to provide more land for the right-of-way, land that is usable.”

Longarm mulled that over. “So he gets the land for his new railroad, plus all the money from selling the other land.”

“Yes. He and Jonas will split the profits.”

“But if the land that Palmer and your father secretly own won't work for a railroad, the survey should have shown that,” Longarm pointed out.

“That's why they falsified the original survey, and they're going to make it look as if the surveyor, a man named Winston who has worked for my father for years, betrayed them and took money from a competitor to provide a false survey.”

Longarm took a deep breath and frowned again. “Dang it, when you put businessmen and politicians together, they come up with ways to steal money that are more twisted up than a skillet full of snakes. Why can't they just go out and rob banks like other crooks?”

Nora smiled sadly. “I couldn't believe they were ready to throw poor Mr. Winston to the wolves just so they could make more money. I've known him since I was a little girl.”

“So when you overheard all this ...”

“I was upset, of course. I went away from the door of my father's study without them knowing that I was there. Jonas came out a few minutes later and took me to the opera house. I tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but I suppose he could tell that something was bothering me. Later, he took me back to his house and ... and persuaded me to tell him what it was.”

Longarm shook his head. “That was likely a mistake.”

“He was furious. He said that I had to keep quiet, that I couldn't let my father know that I had overheard them talking. He said that I was going to be his wife and that I owed him my loyalty and my silence. He wanted me to promise ... but I wouldn't. I told him I didn't know if ... if I was even going to marry him.”

Again she paused, and again Longarm remained silent, sensing that what was to come was even more painful for Nora than the first part of the story had been.

Her voice lowered as she said, “When I wouldn't swear not to tell, he ... he started tearing at my clothes. He said he was going to ... to have carnal knowledge of me so that I ... I would have to marry him. He said I would be ruined if I didn't. That way I would have to keep quiet.”

“That son of a bitch,” Longarm grated.

“But I didn't let him. I fought back. I hit him—” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Between the legs.” In a more normal tone, she went on. “I ran out of there and managed to get home somehow. That night is such a blur now. But I knew I couldn't ever marry him. I was certain Father wouldn't allow me to call off the wedding, not when he had so much money riding on his deal with Jonas, so I decided to just... leave. As soon as I could, that's what I did.”

“How'd you get out of the house?”

Nora smiled. “Mr. O'Shaughnessy helped me. I've known him since I was a little girl too. He never could say no to me.”

So the big Irishman had been lying about not seeing anything the night Nora disappeared. That didn't come as a complete surprise to Longarm. He had already decided that she must have had help of some sort to get away.

“He even took me to the stage station and made sure I got aboard safely,” she went on. “I know it bothered him terribly, because he felt as if he was being disloyal to my father, but he believed me when I told him how important it was that I leave Denver.”

“You didn't tell him why?”

“No. I didn't want to put him in any danger. You see, I'd already realized that Jonas would kill me before he would allow me to ruin his plans. He told me as much when he was raging at me and trying to ... to ...”

Longarm reached over and patted her hand lightly. “That's all right. I know what you mean.”

She shook her head. “He was like a ... a different person. I couldn't believe it was him, that he would try to do such a thing to me. I ... I'm a virgin.”

Longarm didn't quite know what to say to that, so he just nodded and tried to look sympathetic. He had all the information he needed now. Nora's testimony would be enough to scuttle Palmer's scheme and save the government millions of dollars.

Assuming, of course, that she was willing to testify.

“If I take you back to Denver, will you tell your story to my boss?” he asked.

She hesitated, then said, “My father would be ruined.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Back when folks were getting ready to build the transcontinental railroad, deals were made that were almost as shady as this one your father and Palmer are trying to pull. And your father's not the one who tried to have you killed. That was all Palmer's idea. I talked to your father twice, and all he wanted was to find you and get you back safely.”

She caught hold of Longarm's hand and squeezed it. “I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that, Marshal Long. I ... I suppose I can believe that my father is capable of stealing money—I heard that with my own ears. But to murder his own daughter ...”

Longarm shook his head emphatically. “Not a chance in Hades, ma'am.”

She smiled. “I can't allow Jonas to get away with it, can I?”

“Well, all I can tell you is that when a fella tries to kill me, I ain't usually in the mood to let him walk away afterward.”

Nora's hand tightened on his. “I'll testify, Marshal,” she said. “Get me back to Denver, and I'll tell the world what Jonas Palmer has done.”

That was what Longarm wanted to hear.

And he hadn't even been forced to tell Nora about Palmer's mistress, which was good. The gal had been hurt enough already.

 

Lieutenant Gillette and the other Rangers rode back into Monahans that afternoon, leading the extra horses they had taken with them that morning. Bodies were tied onto the extra mounts, some of them carrying double. Longarm was sitting on a ladder-back chair on the boardwalk, talking to Walt Gibson, who was seated next to him. They saw the Rangers returning, and stepped out into the street to meet them.

“I reckon everybody's accounted for,” Gillette told Longarm. “We found Wallace and all of his bunch, and Carter and all of his. All dead.”

Longarm had already spotted Dutchy's body, and he felt a twinge of regret. He had almost liked the stocky outlaw. But Dutchy had known which side of the law he was riding on. Longarm couldn't feel too sorry for him.

He was glad, though, that Nora wasn't here to see the results of all the carnage in the sand hills. She was in her room over at the boardinghouse, and he hoped she stayed there until the Rangers got their grisly burdens down to the undertaker's.

Gillette hitched his horse into motion again. Longarm watched the Rangers ride slowly along the street, and knew that this part of the case was truly over. All that was left was getting Nora back to Denver and making her story public.

He walked over to the boardinghouse and went upstairs. Nora answered his knock and smiled when she saw it was him. “Hello, Marshal.”

“Call me Custis,” he said. “How do you feel about riding?”

She looked puzzled. “I don't know. I don't mind, I suppose.”

“Good. I was thinking that instead of waiting for the stage we might ride over to Brownwood. Walt Gibson tells me there's a spur line there that runs up to Fort Worth, and we can connect with the Texas & Pacific there. We can get back to Denver a lot faster by rail, even if we have to go the long way around.”

Nora nodded slowly and said, “All right.”

Longarm could tell that something was bothering her. It was probably sinking in on her that she was about to go home to testify against her own father, as well as the man she had intended to marry. It wouldn't bother her to put Palmer behind bars, but despite what Longarm had told her earlier, they both knew there was a good chance Bryce Canady might go to jail too.

But then she took a deep breath and her chin lifted defiantly. “I'll be ready to ride whenever you are ... Custis.”

Longarm smiled. “Yes, ma'am.”

 

The ride from Monahans to Brownwood, almost due east across the prairie and rolling plains of West Central Texas, took three days. Lieutenant Gillette and the rest of the Ranger troop accompanied Longarm and Nora, just to make certain there was no more trouble. The journey was peaceful, and within hours of arriving in Brownwood, the two of them were on a train rolling northeastward over the spur line toward Fort Worth.

Longarm smiled to himself as the train crossed a trestle over the Brazos River. A while back, he had paid a visit to the Brazos country and wound up chasing what was supposed to be some sort of monster. He had nearly gotten himself killed a time or two during that episode, and he wondered why he kept getting in such fracases every time he visited the Lone Star State. After all, he was a peaceable man, but folks kept trying to kill him anyway.

Time sort of ran together when a fella was traveling by rail, Longarm knew. From Fort Worth, he and Nora rode north to Kansas City, then changed trains and headed west toward Colorado. They spent hours talking, getting to know each other, and Longarm found the young woman to be mighty pleasant company. Nora was smart as a whip, even though her father had always figured her main asset was her beauty. She would marry an important man, such as Jonas Palmer, and spend the rest of her life as little more than a lovely adornment to him. That had been Bryce Canady's plan for her anyway.

A lot of things were going to change once she got back to Denver.

Nora and Longarm both had berths on the sleeper. Longarm had wired Billy Vail from Fort Worth to let him know that he was returning with Nora and that she was unharmed. Vail's immediate answer had been to spare no expense in getting the young woman back home. For once, Longarm's expense vouchers would not be questioned.

Longarm's wire had also warned Vail not to tell Canady and Palmer about Nora's return. Longarm was sure his boss was mighty puzzled about that, but he trusted Billy to honor the request.

Night was falling over the Kansas plains when Longarm and Nora left the train's dining car. Longarm was wearing a brown tweed suit he had bought in Kansas City. He tugged on the brim of his hat as he said to Nora, “Well, good night again, I reckon.”

“Custis ... don't leave.”

Longarm frowned slightly. “Ma'am?”

“Don't call me ma'am,” she said, “and don't be so ... so thick. We're going to be in Denver by tomorrow night, aren't we?”

“More than likely,” Longarm said with a nod.

“And after that nothing will ever be the same again.”

He shrugged. “I reckon you could say that.”

“Then this is our last night together, and I ... I've made up my mind about something.” She squared her shoulders and went on boldly. “I've decided I don't want to be a virgin anymore.”

Her brazen declaration didn't come as a complete surprise to Longarm. He had sensed her growing interest in him. And as for him, well, she was a beautiful young woman and he was as human as the next fella, but ...

“I don't mean any offense, Nora,” he said quietly, “but I ain't in the habit of deflowering maidens.”

“You've never been with a virgin before?” she challenged.

“Well, I can't rightly say that....”

She stepped closer, and he could feel the heat coming from her. She put her hand on the back of his neck and came up on her toes to press her lips softly to his. The kiss started gently, almost chastely, but within seconds it had grown harder, more passionate and intense. Her body seemed to melt against his, her curves molding to him as his arms instinctively went around her.

She drew her mouth away from his and whispered, “I promise I won't weep and wail and carry on about my lost virtue. This is what I want, Custis. Really and truly.”

Longarm was already hard, almost painfully so. When she reached down and rubbed the palm of her hand over the bulge at his groin, he had to bite back a groan of pleasure.

He began, “This is against my better judgment....”