The Chili Queen (10 page)

She patted the animal’s neck and turned to leave, then caught sight of the tack room. It was Ned’s domain, and Addie never went inside unless he was there. She stared at the enclosure for a long time. Going through Emma’s trunk was one thing, but Ned’s belongings were sacred. He didn’t like snoops. Still, she had the right to spy on him, didn’t she? It was her barn. Everything in it was her business. And what harm was there in looking, as long as Ned didn’t find out? Addie reached behind a post for the key. She went to the barn door and peered out at the horizon just in case Ned was returning, but there was no sign of anyone.

Addie unlocked the door and went inside, stopping to light the kerosene lantern that hung on the wall. Ned wasn’t as tidy as Emma, but nonetheless, the room was neat. The blanket was pulled up over the bed and pillow, and Ned’s clothes hung on nails on the wall. Besides the bed, the room held only a straight chair and Ned’s trunk. Addie looked at the trunk for a long time, then took a couple of steps forward and yanked at the lid. It was unlocked, and Addie lifted it, bending over to see inside. The trunk wasn’t even full. There were Ned’s clothes—extra pants and shirts and a heavy coat he wore in winter. A school-boy’s primer was under the clothes, along with three newspapers with front-page stories on bank robberies. Addie knew Ned had committed two of them; she wasn’t sure about the third but thought it probably was Ned’s doing. Under the newspapers was a piece of brown cardboard, and at first, Addie thought it was part of the trunk. But she lifted it out and turned it over and found herself staring at a prosperous farm family. Addie took the photograph to the light to get a better look. In the center of the picture was a stern-looking couple. The woman looked worn out, and no wonder, with the brood of children around her. The tallest boy, the one holding a dog in his arms, might have been Ned, but Addie wasn’t altogether sure because he was so young. Behind the family was a two-story frame house, with a veranda and what appeared to be a trumpet vine growing over it. She was pleased that Ned had come from a good family, for it meant that she had traded up.

“There never was any such picture took like that of the Foss farm,” Addie muttered to herself. If she’d lived in a house like this, she’d have had a bedroom door to lock, and she might not have left home. Addie studied the boy again, to see if his ears stuck out a little, like Ned’s. But she couldn’t tell. She turned her attention to the two older girls, one with a quilt in her hands. They’d be grown up now. Addie wondered what they’d think if they knew their brother was an outlaw. But maybe they did know. And what would they think if they knew he was keeping company with a hooker? A madam, she reminded herself, formerly the most popular chili queen in San Antonio. Ned could have done worse. Still, Addie had a feeling they’d be a whole lot easier in the heart knowing their brother was married to someone like Emma.

Addie did not know a tear had rolled down her cheek until it splashed onto the photograph. She wiped it off with her sleeve, then turned the picture over. On the back was scribbled
Old K. farm, Ft. Madison
. She wondered what
K
stood for. Maybe this wasn’t Ned’s family after all but just some picture left in a trunk he’d bought. Or maybe the photograph was with something Ned had stolen, although she didn’t know why anybody would steal a picture. She studied the boy again and thought she saw how his nose was flattened a little, like Ned’s. He’d told her it was broken when his father slammed him against the barn. Maybe Ned’s name wasn’t Partner at all. Maybe it was something that started with a
K
. She’d never asked him about his name, and he’d never said. Well, she’d never told him her name was Adeline Foss.

With a final look at the family, Addie blotted the wet spot on the photograph again and put the picture facedown in the trunk. She felt all around inside the empty trunk, but there was no sign of money. Mindful of the way Welcome had repacked Emma’s trunk, Addie folded Ned’s things and closed the lid. She was about to search the rest of the room, but the horse in the stall neighed. Addie quickly left the room, locked the door, and replaced the key. Then she stroked the horse for a moment and left the barn. Welcome was sitting beside the chicken house, watching her.

“You been in there a long time,” she observed.

Addie started to tell Welcome to mind her business, but she stopped. Welcome was her friend now, maybe her only friend, she thought with a surge of self-pity. Besides, after the two of them had gone through Emma’s things, Addie’s snooping in Ned’s trunk didn’t seem so bad. Of course, Welcome didn’t know that’s what she’d been doing. Addie didn’t reply.

“Looks like you forgot to put out the lamp.”

Addie spun around and saw light coming from between the cracks of Ned’s room. She hurried back for the key, opened the door, and blew out the lamp. When she returned to Welcome, Addie said, “I guess it’s my business what I’m doing in my barn.”

“Guess it is,” Welcome replied. “What you want for supper? I was thinking sage tea and chicken gruel.” She laughed good-naturedly.

“How about a beefsteak? You feel like beefsteak?”

Welcome grinned at her. “I always feel like beefsteak. It fits my insides easiest. I’ll make you a cake, too. You come along, and I’ll let you sop out the bowl, just like in your coming-up time.”

“I never had anything to sop in my coming-up time,” Addie said.

Welcome gave a short bark of a laugh. “Neither did I, child. Hell and damnation, by God, neither did I.”

Addie didn’t see Ned for two more days. She didn’t see Emma either, although at night, whenever Addie went into the kitchen, she noticed the bedroom door was closed and knew the woman was inside. Then on Sunday noon, after a slow Saturday night that she blamed on Emma’s presence at The Chili Queen, Addie locked up the house, sent the girls to bed, and went into the kitchen, where she found Ned and Emma waiting for her.

“I wondered maybe you moved out,” Addie said to Emma.

Emma eyed her, then said with a hint of annoyance, “I know I am a burden to you. I will leave as soon as my brother sends the money.”

“We got an idea,” Ned said.

Addie considered him a moment, then said, “Let’s talk about it in the parlor. I could use me a drink.”

The three of them started for the front of the house, followed by Welcome. “You’re not wanted,” Ned said.

“Oh, I don’t have secrets from her. She can stay,” Addie told him.

Ned started to protest, but after looking from Addie to Welcome and back again at Addie, who had put her hands on her hips, Ned said, “Suit yourself, honey.”

Addie sat down, taking up the entire sofa, which was red and slightly soiled. Ned and Emma seated themselves on chairs facing her, while Welcome blended into the semidarkness next to the long plush curtain that spread out on the floor like the train of a dress. Addie poured herself a glass of whiskey and handed the bottle to Ned, who poured one for himself. Emma reached for the bottle and two glasses, filled one and handed it to Welcome, then filled another. Before Addie could raise her glass, Emma had drunk hers.

“You don’t usually see ladies take their whiskey like that,” Addie observed.

“You don’t see ladies take whiskey at all,” Emma replied. She added softly, “I suppose I do not fit the classification of a lady anymore. You said it yourself.”

“What are you going to do with that money when you get it?” Addie asked her.

Emma lifted her glass to her lips, then realized it was empty and set it down. Addie pushed the bottle toward her, and Emma filled it again, but this time she only sipped the liquor. “I have not decided,” Emma replied. “I have always fancied seeing San Francisco.”

Addie nodded. “Me, too.”

Ned cleared his throat, and the three women turned to him. He seemed nervous, but Addie didn’t especially care about putting him at ease. She toyed with a strand of hair that had come out of the knot at the back of her head, then pinned the loose hair in place. “Well, what is it?”

“Me and Emma have an idea, about that bank in Jasper you told me about.”

Addie had indeed told him about the Jasper bank. She had had it in mind that Ned should rob it ever since the bank president had visited The Chili Queen in the spring and sweet-talked Addie into giving him a free time with Broken-Nose Frankie, promising to let Addie have a business loan at a favorable rate. Addie had wanted the money to do a little work around The Chili Queen, so she’d dipped into her own pocket to give Miss Frankie the fifty percent she would have earned from a paying customer. But when Addie had taken the train to Jasper and called on the banker to make good on the loan, he’d denied he was ever at The Chili Queen and refused her. Of course, Addie shouldn’t have asked him for the money when his wife was visiting the bank, but how was she to know he was married to the sharp-nosed woman in black merino? No matter what the circumstances, there’d been no call for him to say she was “the spit of the devil.”

Addie’d been itching to get even ever since, and she’d told Ned about the bank, but Ned hadn’t been keen on robbing anything that close to home. Now, however, after spending all that time with Emma, Ned must have figured out a way to get away from her—by going off to Jasper to rob the bank. Addie almost smirked as she cocked her head and leaned back against the settee. “And?”

“Me and Emma thought we’d take it.”

“What!” Addie jerked upright and stared at Ned. “What do you mean you and Emma?” Welcome let out a sound like a growl.

“Me and Emma, we’re going to take it,” Ned repeated. He glanced at Emma for confirmation, but she was staring at Welcome.

“Emma doesn’t know as much about robbing a bank as a dog does about Sunday,” Addie snorted. She glared at Emma.

“You said it would be as easy as honey to knock over,” Ned persisted.

“Yeah, as easy as licking honey off a thornbush—with her along.” Addie gestured with her head to Emma. “Oh, that’s a fool idea all right.” She stood up, but the room was too small for pacing, and she sat back down and asked Emma, “What do you know about taking a bank? You think it’s as easy as getting a money order, do you? You just walk in and say, ‘Give me your money, if you please?’”

“Ned will do the robbing,” Emma said quickly. “I’m just going along with him so people won’t be suspicious. I’ll pretend to be his sister. Who’d expect a bank robber to take along his sister? Ned says there’s no danger in it at all. At all.” Before Addie could reply, Emma added, “I am of a mind to do it. I have already strayed. One more transgression won’t matter much. You need not worry about my soul.”

“I won’t.”

Ned set his glass on the table, sloshing the liquor over the side. He had not touched it. “We talked it out. We’ll say we’re farmers going into town to buy supplies. If it looks too dangerous, we’ll turn around and come on home.”

“It’s against my wants,” Addie said. “You’ll get caught.”

“We’ll be careful. I’ll be all right since I won’t leave the wagon,” Emma said. Then she added with a touch of iron in her voice that Addie had not heard before, “I believe I can do anything I set my mind to.”

“I’m not so worried about you getting caught. I’m worried about Ned.”

Before Emma could reply, Welcome blurted out, “No! God, my deliverer, no!”

The other three turned to her in surprise. “Oh, hush up,” Ned said. “It’s not your business.”

“’Tis,” Welcome replied. She twisted her dark hands in her white apron. “’Tis if you get caught. Then where’s my two hundred and fifty dollars?”

“We won’t get caught, neither of us,” Emma told her softly.

Welcome stepped forward so that they could see her better and shook her head. “It’s devilment. You will get caught, and they’ll come after us, come after me.”

“What have you done that you don’t want anybody to find out about?” Ned asked.

Welcome stared him down. When Ned looked away, Welcome said, “The only real sin I committed was I was a dancer.” She looked at the others to see if they would challenge her. They didn’t.

“I will not be found wanting,” Emma said quietly, looking at Welcome. “I performed in amateur theatricals at home and believe I can act a little. I’m not so good, but I’m not so bad, either.” She looked down at her hands. “I—we—will not get caught. I promise you.”

“Oh, promise, la!” Addie said. “How can you promise? I bet you never did anything in your life against the law.”

Emma didn’t answer.

“You’d risk everything—?” Welcome asked, but Emma interrupted.

“I’m not risking anything,” Emma said, sending Welcome a look Addie didn’t understand.

The four of them sat there for a moment, not saying a word. Addie could hear Miss Tillie and Miss Belle upstairs arguing and knew she should see what the fuss was about. Miss Tillie could turn mean, and when she fought with Miss Belle, she would commonly smack her over. Something dropped on the floor above them, and Addie raised her eyes to the ceiling. She sighed. The business overwhelmed her sometimes.

“Then I guess it’s settled. Me and Emma will leave at sunup tomorrow.”

“What?” Addie asked, forgetting the two boarders. “We have to think on this some more. Besides, you don’t have to leave so soon.”

“I’m done thinking,” Ned said.

“We want to be back by the time John’s letter arrives,” Emma added. “I shall not impose any longer than I have to.”

Before Addie could respond, there was another thump on the ceiling. Addie turned to Welcome. “You go up there and swat their behinds.”

The hired woman straightened her long skirt, then smoothed her apron. “Don’t you mess this up,” she said, although it was not clear whether she was talking to Ned or Emma. Then she took the stairs two at a time as she called, “You stop that racket or I’ll cut your ears off.”

Addie glared at Ned and Emma. “No good will come of it. No good at all.”

“Oh, I feel lucky,” Ned told her.

“Well, I don’t,” Addie said, thinking she had the damndest luck of anybody she knew.