Murder at Thumb Butte (28 page)

His lips quivered like he was about to speak, but then he closed his mouth. I might as well let him know I had already figured it out. “Carl, I know about the entertainment available in room twelve.”

“
Shit.” He put his face in his hands.

“
Other men have wandered,” I offered weakly.

“
Other men aren’t married to Mary,” McAllen said. “She’ll put up with a lot, but not that.”

“
Carl, I can’t guarantee that Mary will never find out, but I can guarantee she won’t find out from me.”

“
Nor me,” McAllen said.

“
I know you don’t want advice,” I said. “But stop right now, because if you don’t, sooner or later she’ll find out. The captain and I just gave you a stay of execution, not a pardon.”

Schmidt pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose as he looked around the saloon. No one was paying any attention to us. To emphasize that we had changed subjects, I got up and ordered whiskey for McAllen and Schmidt. The barkeep said he’d bring them over, so I went back to the table to find everything relatively normal.

“
Steve, we had a development while you were away,” McAllen said. “Mary uncovered letters that prove Blanchet was independently workin’ for the Winslows.”

“
Do they tie him to the murder?” I asked.

“
No. Nothing that clear. But you were right. The Winslows hired us to get evidence on Campbell and used Blanchet for political cover. It looks like they took the third step and hired Blanchet to get rid of him permanent.”

“
How did Mary get hold of these letters?” I asked.

“
She’s very good with locks. But I won’t talk about this one any further. An agent doing her job is different from what we were discussing before.”

“
I forget,” I said. “What were we discussing before?”

_{Chapter 40}

The next morning after breakfast, McAllen and Maggie knocked on Mrs. Cunningham’s door. I had no plan for the day, so I was happy to see McAllen. With the trial only a couple of days away, we had to make good use of our time. I escorted them to the sitting room and closed the sliding doors with a rather loud clap.

After we sat down, McAllen said, “I believe Blanchet’s our man, and the Winslows paid him to get rid of Campbell. He probably didn’t murder anyone himself, but we can’t be sure because of his Omaha conviction for attempted murder. Steve, that night you got shot at, the supposed highwayman was probably a hired killer. He was ham-handed, just like the Cody bunch that accosted us in front of the Palace. Someone is hiring second-rate bad men, and that sounds like Blanchet.”

“
I take it you no longer believe the Schmidts are part of this.”

“
Carl was stupid, not criminal.”

Maggie leaned forward to ask a question but McAllen stopped it with a raised hand.

“
Steve, do you have a problem with Blanchet as the key suspect?”

“
Not at all. The evidence points to him, but in a way, I wish it had turned out to be Winslow. If he lives his life dream, he’ll probably harm a lot more people.”

“
I take your point,” McAllen said. “But if it’s not Winslow, it’ll just be some other damn politician ruining what’s already workin’. Any coffee around?”

“
I’ll check.”

I jumped up and heard Maggie’s footfall behind me. In a loud voice, she said, “I’ll help you carry.” Then in a whisper she added, “Mr. Dancy, I need to talk with you. Private. It’s personal.”

“
Too personal for your pa?”

“
Oh, yes.”

I stopped in the dining room. “Will it be a quick conversation?”

“
A moment.” She studied her feet and then lifted her chin. “Mr. Dancy, I need you to talk to Mr. Winslow. Tell him to leave me alone or you’ll kill him.”

“
What happened?”

“
Two days ago, Pa and I went to the jail to see Mr. Sharp. They were bathing prisoners, so Pa told me to stay upstairs. I sat on a chair in the lobby, and Mr. Winslow saw me. His behavior was inappropriate and rude.”

I felt a sense of relief that he had only been rude. “Maggie, I normally need a better reason to kill a man.”

“
He asked me to help carry a few boxes and then led me into a storage room. He closed the door and then unbuttoned. I want him to leave me alone.”

“
Did he, uh—?”

“
Of course not. While he was occupied unbuttoning, I shoved him against the shelves and left. He yelped, and stuff fell all over. It made a terrible racket, and everyone in the lobby stared at me. I want you to stop him. Please.”

“
He’ll never bother you again. Let’s get the coffee and return before your pa wonders what’s become of us.”

We soon returned with the coffee. McAllen and I drank it black, but Maggie put enough cream and sugar in hers for the three of us.

McAllen continued as if there had been no interruption. “Everythin’ points at Blanchet. He wants us dead or gone at least, so Jeff swings for this murder. He’s too much of a coward to try it himself and too cheap to hire men that know what they’re doin’.”

“
Why doesn’t he attack the Schmidts? He knows they’re Pinkertons.”

“
He does now, but I’m not sure about before. He’s certainly known since that newspaper article. But if Winslow told him they were Pinkertons, he also told him they still work for him. That means they’re not a threat to Blanchet because they aren’t tryin’ to free Jeff.”

That made sense. “When is the trial going to start?” I asked.

“
Two days. Castle and I have talked about the defense. He says he’s ready. He believes he can get Jeff off, but indicting Blanchet is a whole different matter. All the evidence is circumstantial.”

“
What about those letters that Mary found in his room?”

“
Too vague. Mary had to return them anyway.”

“
Why?”

“
Steve, our best chance is to surprise Blanchet in court. If the letters weren’t returned, he’d know we were on to him. The most important task is to get Jeff free. Worst case, we return Blanchet to Omaha to serve the rest of his sentence. Maggie and I are gonna tie up a few loose strings with Castle. I want you to see Sharp and keep him calm. He doesn’t know about Blanchet. Tell him, but do it calmly. Act confident and tell him he’ll be free in two days. We’ll meet at Mrs. Potter’s at one—after most of the traffic.”

I stood up. Maggie looked at me with pleading eyes. “I need to go. I have another errand at the courthouse. Did you see Jeff this morning?”

“
We did. The jailers are taken care of through the trial.”

“
Anything else before I go?”

“
Yes. I’m dropping Maggie at Mrs. Cunningham’s after we leave Castle’s office. Pick her up for our lunch date.”

“
Where are you going?”

“
Castle wants me to check Winslow’s alibi. I don’t doubt it, but he wants no stone left unturned by trial date.”

This meant he was going to interview the high-priced whore. No wonder he didn’t want Maggie with him.

I gave Maggie a smile and started to leave. “Mr. Dancy?”

“
Yes.”

“
I need to go to Goldwater’s, so if I’m not at Mrs. Cunningham’s, don’t worry. I’ll be there by a quarter of one, latest.”

I left the house wondering why Maggie’s comment made me uneasy.

_{Chapter 41}

As I approached Jonathon Winslow, he leaped to his feet and raised both hands, palms out.

“
Stop. The governor will not see you. I have strict orders to keep you out.”

“
To hell with the governor. I came to see you.”

“
Guard!”

I almost punched him right there. He looked as scared as any man I had ever seen. Either he knew why I wanted to see him, or the gunfight with the Cody bunch had unnerved him. In a moment, a burly watchman approached me like a charging bull. I put my hands in my pockets, striking a casual pose. He stopped about four feet away and looked to Winslow for instructions.

“
Throw him out of the building!”

I brushed the watchman’s arm off before it reached my shoulder. He looked like he was going to get forceful but calmed down when I started sauntering toward the staircase.

Without looking back, I said, “Since you won’t speak to me, Jonathon, I’m going to write to Mrs. Anna Cabot Lodge.”

“
Who?”

I slowly turned and looked at him. “I’m sorry. I thought the Winslows were part of the social register in Boston. Perhaps I’ve been misled by your previous remarks.”

“
The Winslows are one of the most prominent families in Boston. The oldest family, I might add.”

“
Yes, I know. Your ancestors came over on the
Mayflower
.”

The guard allowed me to take a step toward him.

“
Have you been fibbing? How can you not know Mrs. Lodge?”

“
I know who Anna Lodge is. Do you?”

“
She’s the wife of John Ellerton Lodge. They’re the parents of Slim … I’m sorry, Henry Cabot Lodge. John Lodge was a good friend of my father. Slim and I were friendly rivals during our sculling days.”

“
You expect me to believe this, after the governor failed to remember your fantasies?”

“
I do. Surely you know Anna is a bastion of the social set in Boston. She loves gossip, especially gossip about secrets others would prefer remained in the closet.”

His belligerence continued, but then slowly recognition of the meaning of my reference came into his eyes, and he wobbled badly. Gripping the edge of the desk, he waved the guard away.

“
How do I know you didn’t look her up at the
Arizona Daily Miner
?”

“
Evidently you haven’t been to the
Arizona Daily Miner.
It’s not the
Boston Herald
. But don’t take my word for it. Go to Western Union and ask your parents to check my references with Anna Lodge or her husband. That is, if they know the Lodges well enough to call on them.”

“
You overbearing upstart. The Winslows are accepted in the homes of the Cabots and the Lodges.”

“
Then you’ll have no difficulty checking my references.” I walked to the edge of his desk and, leaning in to within inches of his face, spoke barely above a whisper. “Don’t be a fool. Have your folks check me out. Because I want to be clear, if you so much as look at Maggie McAllen again, I will destroy your reputation in Boston. I will make you the laughingstock of Beacon Hill. Forget your congressional run, you won’t even be accepted in polite society. But if you touch her … I’ll geld you like a rogue animal.”

When I left, the man was shaking.

_{Chapter 42}

Sharp was not his normal jovial self. In fact, he was cranky. While I told him everything that had happened in the last few days, he constantly interrupted me with questions, many impolite. It seemed that while I was away in Wickenburg, McAllen had given Sharp only terse explanations of events. Sharp was starved for information and company. After I finished, he went back to his bed and sat with his back against the wall.

“
Two days.” He shook his head. “Is Castle sure about lettin’ Blanchet act as prosecutor?”

“
I haven’t talked to Castle since I got back. When did you see him last?”

“
Yesterday.”

“
What did he say?”

“
He didn’t say a damn word ’bout Blanchet. Just told me to relax. Said he was confident an’ ready. Puffed his damn chest out. Hell, the way he talked, I ought to be lookin’ forward to the trial like some great adventure. Let me think, if this goes bad, who goes to the gallows? Will Mac Castle say he’s sorry an’ volunteer to take my place? More likely, he’ll want to make sure he collects all his fees before I join the dearly departed.”

“
Tell you what: If Castle loses, I’ll shoot your way out, and we’ll hightail it back to the United States.”

“
Always good to have a second plan.” He pounded the bed with his fist. “Damn it. I’m used to takin’ charge. Ain’t nothin’ I can do in here.”

I didn’t know how to respond, so I didn’t.

After a few silent moments, Sharp asked, “Anythin’ on that stock certificate?”

“
No. I searched that room top to bottom. Checked for loose floorboards, fake drawers, sewed up mattresses. Nothing. Looked outside the room and couldn’t find anywhere else in the house or grounds to hide a piece of paper. Practically ripped that Saratoga trunk to shreds and cut apart everything I found inside it. I’ve only found the materials he used to forge certificates.” I shook my head. “I’m beginning to think he left it in New York.”

“
Why wouldn’t he?”

“
First, he was running away from the law, but more important, he wouldn’t want Vanderbilt to get his hands on it. That sort always believes they’re going to find the money to set everything right.”

On the floor opposite the bed, Sharp had stacked all the old newspapers I had brought to keep him occupied. He went to a short stack and held them out between the bars. I took them and fanned them out. There were four issues.