Silver Lies (21 page)

He stood and escorted her to the door. "I’m expecting other visitors."

Inez turned Harry’s explanation over in her mind, as if it were a line of music. She said faintly, "I just can’t believe it. Joe, cheating? Why?"

Harry reached past her and held the door closed.

"Why? Look around. Getting rich is everyone’s preoccupation in this town. Even yours."

She flinched, remembering the hopes and heartaches she had confided.
I should have known that Harry wouldn’t offer information without exacting payment.

He continued, "When the race to wealth is everything, some count integrity and honesty as liabilities."

He looked hard at her, as if trying to decipher if she was listening.

"Well, Harry, seems you’re among the first at the finish line." She tugged at her gloves, making a show of her readiness to depart.

"With the saloon and your shares of
Silver
Mountain
stock, you won’t finish last, Inez." His hand lowered to the doorknob. "I hope you heed my words. But then," his voice held bitterness and something darker, "your terms seem to be the only ones acceptable."

"Then, Harry, we have something in common after all. We both prefer doing things our own way."

They stared at each other. His physical closeness felt like an invasion, but Inez, door at her back, was loathe to sidestep, retreat.
Full retreat and surrender. That’s always what Harry demands—

"Waaall who the Sam Hill’s in there anyways? I got news for Gallagher."

She recognized that voice and, judging from his expression, so did Harry.

Harry gripped Inez’s arm and pulled her close. "Next time we have a private meeting, we’ll discuss other matters. You can’t avoid me forever."

He threw open the door, revealing Renquist and Marshal Hollis. Hollis saw Inez and sneered.

"Renquist." Harry’s voice carried the threat of a storm.

"The marshal just got here, Mr. Gallagher. He was late. I didn’t have time to ask him to wait."

"Get Jack. Have him escort Mrs. Stannert to town."

"
Mr.
Gallagher," she pulled away, indignant. "I’m quite capable of—"

"
Mrs.
Stannert." Harry captured her arm again and propelled her toward the entrance, away from Renquist and Hollis. He lowered his voice. "This is a matter of practicality, not gallantry. You were seen coming up here. You’re going to be seen leaving and arriving safely back in town. I want no ‘accidents.’ No speculation."

Jack appeared.

Harry turned, still gripping Inez’s elbow. "Once Mrs. Stannert is delivered to town, call it a day. We’ll talk about the drift tomorrow."

Jack looked pained. "How about I get one of the militia to take her back. I was going over those maps."

"You see her back. Safe and sound." Harry’s tone brooked no arguments.

Resigned, Jack pulled a winter overcoat and wide-brimmed hat off a row of pegs. He went out the front door, calling, "Bring up that horse and cutter!"

Renquist twitched Hollis’ sleeve, indicating the office. "This way, Marshal."

Up in the saloon’s dressing room, Inez smoothed the bodice of her chocolate-brown polonaise. Her funeral outfit was draped over the tops of the room screens, damp reminders of the afternoon and her trip back from
Silver
Mountain
.

Inez lifted the lamp from its holder and carried it out of the dressing room. Abe was waiting in the office, with a cup of coffee. "Thought you could use this."

She set the coffee, untasted, on the rolltop desk and paced by the window while Abe opened the safe. Outside, traffic surged up and down
State Street
. Snow blew softly from the night sky.

"I wonder when State will get gaslights," she said aloud.

Abe sat on the loveseat, cashbox in hand. "Town’s Improvement Association sure worked fast on
Harrison
and Chestnut. Guess they’re thinkin’ about investors. Money men won’t gamble on anything but a respectable, first-class operation."

Abe watched as Inez continued to pace. "You gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"When you came back from Fryer Hill, I figured you must’ve shot Harry. It was the most likely reason for your murderin’ face. So, is there gonna be an empty chair at the table tomorrow night? Or did you just wing him?"

"No, I didn’t shoot him. But I wish to God I had." Inez clenched her fists. After a moment, she sat down beside Abe.

"Harry says Joe falsified his assay reports. Nils told him, and Harry’s got proof. He also said Emma herself sought out a private meeting. Apparently, Joe didn’t tell her that
Silver
Mountain
was no longer a customer. No wonder Joe took out a loan. He was probably trying to cover the loss, for Emma’s sake."

Abe set the box aside and settled back on the couch. Inez, head bowed, felt his dark eyes dwell on her for several bleak moments.

"So Harry just up and told you all this, and you weren’t even holdin’ a gun on him? Hmph. Don’t seem like Mr. Gallagher, somehow. Even if you were bein’ your usual charmin’ self."

"I wasn’t exactly charming."

"Thing is, you gotta certain flash and fire when you get all determined-like. I wouldn’t discount its effect. Especially on Harry."

She shrugged.

Abe rested one long arm along the back of the couch. "Well, now. I don’t rightly know what Harry’s up to, but don’t take his talkin’ to heart."

"The marshal showed up. He’s in Harry’s pocket, I’m certain."

She leaned against Abe’s outstretched arm and closed her eyes. The smell of sweat and smoke pulled her back to when it was just the three of them. Her, Mark, and Abe. No ghosts from the past. No worries about the future.

Abe shifted and withdrew his arm. "Inez, I’ve been meanin’ to ask. Have you thought about goin’ to
California
with Emma and Joey?"

She opened her eyes and stared out the window. The wind paused. White flakes appeared at the top of the pane and drifted down to vanish from sight beneath the sill. Something inside her froze. Like a small animal trying to escape notice through immobility.

"No."

"We cash out of Leadville, you’d have a considerable sum. You could get your young’un back. Move to
Sacramento
. Do something different."

And what about you?
She didn’t say it. What came out instead was "But if Mark comes back…"

The pain she’d fought to contain seemed to grow and envelope the room. Side by side, Inez and Abe watched more fat disks of snow splat into the window and slide down the glass into oblivion.

"And you’re not here." Abe’s gentle voice finished her sentence. "Well, just thought I’d ask. See which way the wind was blowin’."

He stood. "We can’t leave Useless by hisself too long."

Inez felt weary to the bone.
Tomorrow night, Harry’ll sit next to me while I deal the cards, not say a word about today. As if it never happened.

Sometimes, the pressure of his presence combined with the ache of missing her husband and son made her want to walk out of Leadville forever.
Abe’s right. I could say to hell with it and start a new life elsewhere.

The thought pulled like the night sky. But like the sky, it shed no light or warmth.

999

Bracketed by Abe and Useless, Inez locked up the Silver Queen. Useless shuffled his feet. "I appreciate you lettin’ me be a bardog tonight."

Inez pocketed the key. "We couldn’t have managed without you."

Useless snuffled into his muffler. "I always wanted to work the bar, y’know. Mrs. DuBois, she never gave me the chance." He headed down State.

Even though it was after two, men still milled about the twenty-four-hour music halls and saloons. Blasts of brass bands and the tinkling of pianos pumped out the doors as they opened and closed. The restlessness of the streets echoed Inez’s disposition. Her mind turned over the events of the day, placing bits and pieces side by side, looking for a fit.

Nils told Harry that Joe fixed
Silver
Mountain
’s assays. How did he know? Is there something we overlooked in the laboratory?

"Abe. Let’s go to Joe’s office."

"Now?"

"I want to take another look around, just for a minute. If Joe was falsifying assays, there should be some sign."

"Inez, we’ve been over every inch of that place."

"But we were after his records, Chet’s samples."

"Do you have any idea what you lookin’ for?"

"I’d like to look at what’s left of his equipment. The furnace, especially. If Joe was cheating, how did he do it?"

"All right, all right. I say no, you’ll go anyway. Too late at night for a woman t’ walk around by herself."

"I don’t need an escort. I’m armed. I can take care of myself."

"Armed, yeah, with a peashooter. Now, if you had a shotgun or heavy artillery." Abe sighed. "Let’s make it fast."

As they approached the assay office, Abe put out an arm to stop her. "What’s that?"

"What?"

A dim light flickered deep inside the building.

"That." Abe unbuttoned his greatcoat and pulled out his old Army Colt. "Someone’s in there."