Tarnished Angel (63 page)

    Charles trained his gaze intently on Ross's friend. The man was little more than a stranger to him. How could he convince him that Devina and he wanted to help Ross? His gaze slipped to Lai Hua. He noted the manner in which her eyes assessed Jake's uneasiness. He saw her place her hand on his arm as she raised her soft voice into the unsettled silence.

    "Miss Devina asked that I bring you here, Mr. Jake. She is the friend of whom I spoke. Dr. Carter also wishes to help."

    Jake jerked his head in Charles's direction. "Ross doesn't want his help."

    Charles stiffened at Jake's comment, but he restrained his instinctive anger, realizing his brother's friend had a perfect right to be suspicious. "I was a damned fool three years ago, and I haven't done a very good job of handling things intelligently with my brother since that time, either. I know I played a part in getting Ross into his present situation, but it's too late to lament my past mistakes. There's only one thing I can do to help Ross now, and I intend to do it with or without your help."

    Jake turned toward Devina, his brow furrowing into a deep frown. He studied her expression openly as he spoke. "You're
tryin
' to tell me you're Ross's friend, is that right, Miss Dale? You didn't look much like his friend back there in the cabin, and you didn't much look like his friend when you stood up and testified against him in court."

    "I didn't have any choice in court."

    "And I'm
thinkin
' those weren't friendly glances Ross was
sendin
' you across that courtroom."

    "I have no doubt Ross despises me. He believes he has good reason for his feelings. But those feelings are not returned in kind."

    Jake studied Devina Dale's pale face. "You're
tellin
' me you want to help
Rossthe
man who kidnapped you and held you prisoner?" Jake shook his head. "What are you
plannin
', lady? I saw the way Ross treated you at that cabin, and I saw the hatred in your eyes."

    "Do you see hatred in my eyes now?"

    Jake paused, his eyes surveying her face once more. He gave a short laugh. "If you're
anythin
' like your pa, you're real good at
actin
'."

    "Well, I'm not like my father… Not anymore, at any rate. And I know the truth now, Jake. I know my father cheated Brad  Morrison, and I know he was responsible for getting Ross convicted for the accident at the mine. Ross told me that, but I wasn't sure what to believe. Charles confirmed everything Ross said."

    Jake turned a short, knowing glance toward Charles. "Yeah, Ross's honest, respectable brother."

    Devina, her anxiety obvious, reached out and gripped Jake's arm. "We haven't much time. I can't spend any more of it convincing you that Charles and I want to help Ross. If you'll stop and think, you'll realize we have nothing to gain by bringing you here like this, except to help Ross. I'll ask you now, for the last time: Will you help us?"

    Jake hesitated, and Charles felt the strength of his resistance. Damn, the fool was going to refuse. He would force them to go it alone and risk failure.

    Lai Hua unexpectedly touched Jake's arm, and Jake turned toward her. She spoke softly into the tense silence of the room. "Mr. Jake, we have been less than allies of Mr. Morrison in the past. Your suspicion is well founded. You are right to doubt and right to be cautious in protecting your friend's last chance for freedom. You also mistrust me, and the pain of that knowledge lies deep within my heart. But in the memory of all that has gone before between us, I ask that you trust those present now. I ask this of you with great humility and with the love I bear in my heart for you."

    Lai Hua's small face flushed with embarrassment at her outspoken words. She stepped back, allowing the silence to grow as Jake studied her bowed head.

    Tension beginning to prickle along his spine, Charles restrained his anxiety. He glanced toward Devina's expectant face. She was pale and trembling. She could not take much more of this.

    Jake's expression hardened, and he raised his chin, his decision obviously made. "All right, tell me what you have in mind."

    Devina shot Charles a brief glance, the smile that lit her face leaving no doubt as to her reaction to Jake's response. Her first words were from the heart. "Thank you for trusting us, Jake." She took another deep breath before continuing. "Jake, I have a plan…"

«» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «» «»

    Harvey Dale struggled to pull himself upright in the soft, overstuffed chair in his bedroom. A flash of pure fury suffused him as his stiff leg and dangling arm refused to aid his effort. He tried again, cursing his debility, cursing the man who had pushed him to this pitiful state, cursing the fates that had put Harvey Dale, always the master, in a position of dependence.

    He gave a low snort. But if he suffered, he would see to it that he returned that suffering measure for measure. Today he had taken the first step in that retribution.

    Harvey sought to control his elation. Ross
Morrisonthe
low, thieving bastard, the totally worthless human being who had sought to avenge his fool of a father at his
expensewould
serve twenty years for the attempt. He would make certain that Morrison reached Yuma safely and on time. He had already arranged with Sheriff Bond to hire six guards. He cared little for the expense. Morrison would soon be firmly ensconced in his cell, and Harvey would make sure the bastard stayed there for the full term of his sentence, if he had to use every bit of political pressure he could exert.

    He took a deep breath and attempted to rein in his rioting emotions. Devina was home with him, where she belonged, but he felt a measure of discomfort about her state of mind. She had not behaved normally toward him since her rescue. He had been startled by the condemnation he had read in her eyes, but he had not inquired as to its cause. He was not yet well enough to face her response. When he was, he would use his powers of persuasion, the charm that had never failed him, to subdue her unvoiced opposition.

    And then, when he was on his feet, he would take Devina away from this damned savage frontier. He would take her to San Francisco, introduce her to society. He would see that she met and married a young man who was worthy of her, if indeed such a man could be found. She would have everything she wanted from life, everything he wanted for her. He would see to that, and he would see the warmth again enter her eyes when she looked at him.

    Finding great satisfaction in his thoughts, Harvey smiled, but he knew that his once handsome smile was now distorted, grotesque. He raised his good hand to his cheek. The searching fingers found their way to the contorted flesh of his face, and he was repelled. No longer would his smile turn women's heads,     except with disgust. Beautiful Lily… He had cherished a secret belief that he would be able to coax her back to his bed even though she was free of her obligation to him. But now she would view him with revulsion. Harvey's hatred soared. This, too, Ross Morrison had done to him.

    Harvey took a deep breath and attempted to control his growing fury. He could not chance these thoughts. Dr. Hastings had said it would do him harm to upset himself. He must get well.

    He struggled for a few moments longer with his helplessness in the overstuffed chair. Finally surrendering, repelled by the sound of his own slurred voice, he shouted, "Molly! Come up here and help me!"

    Within a few minutes Molly's lumbering step could be heard on the staircase, and Harvey fought to control his impatience. He responded gruffly to the knock on the door, "Come in! I called you, didn't I?"

    Pausing as Molly's oversize form moved through the doorway, he commanded, "Help me. I can't get up."

    Responding to his command, Molly approached with a disapproving glance. "You shouldn't get yourself so upset, Mr. Dale. Dr. Hastings said"

    "I know what Dr. Hastings said!" Despising the quaking of his wasted frame as Molly helped him to his feet, Harvey questioned, "Where is Miss Devina? I haven't seen her all day. It's getting dark, and she isn't home yet."

    Leading him across the room, Molly helped him to settle on the bed before responding. "She'll be home, Mr. Dale. She'll be home."

    Harvey felt a flush of anger at Molly's patronizing tone. A telltale twitching began in his cheek. "All right, you've done what you've had to do, now get out!"

    Ignoring Molly's tight glance, Harvey turned his eyes from the sight of her broad proportions as she ambled through the doorway. He heaved a deep sigh as she closed the door behind him. He was better off alone.

    Damn, when was Devina going to get home?

    Sheriff Bond looked at the covered tray delivered for his prisoner's supper. He inhaled the savory aroma and slanted a brief glance toward the tiny Oriental woman who turned to leave after depositing the tray on the desk. Frowning, he reached out  and grasped her arm. His thick gray mustache twitched as she dropped her head in the traditional bow of subservience. Damn these Chinese! Didn't they ever look a man in the eye?

    He addressed her with a narrowed gaze. ''I
ain't
never seen you before. You new at
Hagarty's
Kitchen?"

    The woman bobbed her head in response. "Yes, I am to take
Lum
Chow's place until he is again well enough to return to work."

    "Yeah? I got
kinda
used to
seein
' him every day since I got this prisoner a month back. What's wrong with him?"

    The woman bobbed her head again, and Sheriff Bond's lip twitched with annoyance. No wonder nobody trusted the whole lot of them. It was damned vexing talking to the top of their heads.

    "It is an old malady," the woman said. "A stomach distress which prohibits him from working in the restaurant for fear of transmitting his illness."

    Chester Bond took a step backward, immediately releasing the woman's thin arm. He cast a suspicious glance toward the tray. Hell, no telling what kind of sickness those foreigners had brought into the country. He'd make note not to eat in
Hagarty's
for a while. He wasn't anxious to get any of those foreign diseases.

    "All right, you can go now. And you can remind
Hagarty
that I won't be
needin
' him to send any more meals after breakfast tomorrow. We're
goin
' to be
transportin
' the prisoner as soon as it's light enough to travel." Amusement touched the corner of Sheriff Bond's mouth and he gave a short shrug. "Hell, don't want no convicted criminals
hangin
' around this jail for too long a time. Liable to give this place a bad name!"

    Thoroughly enjoying his own joke, Sheriff Bond waited for a reaction that did not come from the silent Oriental. His amusement slowly draining away as he stared at the top of the woman's bowed head, he scowled. Them Chinese didn't have no sense of humor, neither.

    "All right, whatever your name is, I said you can go. Just remember to come back to pick up the tray. I don't like
havin
' dirty dishes
hangin
' around. Too many rats
lookin
' for an easy meal. I'm not about to go
invitin
' them in here."

    "Yes, Sheriff Bond."

    Watching as the girl turned obediently on her heel and disappeared through the doorway, Sheriff Bond again shook his head. He had wondered why the meal was so late tonight. Hell, it was almost dark. Not that his prisoner would complain. He didn't expect Morrison had much appetite anyway. He sure as hell wouldn't if he'd been sentenced to twenty years in Yuma.

    Sheriff Bond took another look at the tray, a wary expression flicking across his face. He didn't expect a man could catch a disease just from touching the tray. He lifted the cloth with the tips of his fingers and peeked underneath in a ritual he had practiced three times a day for the past month. Nothing wrong there. As a matter of fact that stew looked damned good, and he always did like black bread. A cup of coffee, a spoon and fork neatly rolled in a napkin…
Hagarty
served a tempting meal. But sure as hell nothing would make him touch anything on that tray tonight.

    Picking up the tray with considerable caution, Chester Bond held it a reasonably safe distance from his body as he kicked open the door to the inner room and walked in. His eyes touched on his tall, morose prisoner, and an unaccustomed sympathy flickered across his mind. It had to be hard being a young fellow and knowing you wouldn't be coming out of that hellhole of a prison until you were old and gray and your life was just about over. His sympathy softened his accustomed bluster as he snatched the keys from the peg near the door.

    "All right, Morrison, step back if you want to eat. Yeah, all the way back to the corner, that's right."

    Placing the tray carefully on the floor near the door, the sheriff drew his gun before putting the key in the lock. Holding it leveled at Morrison's stomach, he pulled open the door and slowly pushed the tray inside with his foot.

    Turning with a small shrug, Bond walked the few steps to the door, hung up the keys, stepped outside, and closed the door behind him.