Minnie stepped into the study. Her eyes roamed over the room until she spotted Art. He was seated behind her father's desk looking at a handful of letters, the ones she'd stashed in her father's drawer before Samuel and Sarah had arrived. Stepping over to the desk, she asked, "What do you think they mean?"

  Upon his arrival, Art had removed his cowboy hat, but he still had the intense look in his eyes she associated with the pulled-down hat. "Detective Wilcox believes William was blackmailing somebody and that whatever he was using as blackmail is in your possession."

  "That's not possible," she said firmly. Then, with less certainty, "Wouldn't I know if I had something like that?"

  Art shook his head and said, "I don't know. It could be a letter, a photograph, or even something written in code that you wouldn't understand."

  Nodding, Minnie said, "I'll go through everything I brought with me from San Francisco. Some of the items are still in trunks. I haven't had the motivation to take everything out."

  "Look through everything," Art said. "If you have books, ruffle through the pages, make sure the paper in the binding hasn't been slit so something can be slipped in and hidden. Check every envelope and scrap of paper, anything you can't say for a fact you purchased or wrote yourself."

  "I'll go through everything again tomorrow."

  "Do you know much about the governor of California?"

  Surprised by the question, Minnie said, "George Stoneman took office in January. I think he's originally from New York. He roomed with the man they call Stonewall Jackson when he was at West Point prior to the Civil War. There was some military action down in Yuma, Arizona, that he was involved in, too. Following politics hasn't been much of a priority to me lately, but I've read some articles. The newspaper says he has some radical ideas. I don't know the details, but whatever those ideas are, they seem to be turning public opinion against him."

  "Do you know anyone who worked on his campaign or is involved in his administration?"

  Minnie shook her head and said, "Not that I can think of. What is this about?"

  Before Art could answer, the mayor opened the door and said, "Time's up. Minnie, come with me."

  Without another word to Art, she followed her father from the room.

  ****

  Art sat at the mayor's desk and studied the pages in his hand. There were four notes, three of which were addressed to Mrs. Drake.

  Your time is running out.

  We will be contacting you shortly.

  You'd better have what we want.

  I'll be checking mail at ten tomorrow morning.

  Smiling, he tucked the first three notes back into their envelopes and put them in the inner pocket of his vest. The last note was tossed into the fire. Art watched until it had been fully consumed. His Minnie was a smart one.

  My Minnie. I've got to stop thinking about her like that…

  Chapter Fifteen

  Art was leaning against the outside of the stage office, striking a leisure pose, when Minnie came around the corner at ten o'clock the following morning. He looked relaxed, as if he was taking in the sun's rays and enjoying a cup of coffee.

  "Well, good morning, Sheriff. How are you doing this fine morning?"

  "Doin' fine, Minnie. And how are you?"

  "I find I'm a bit overtired this morning, to tell you the truth," she said.

  "Whatever for? Did you stay up all night reading a good book?"

  She laughed and said, "You could say that. I was actually looking through a handful of old books I hadn't taken the time to read in a long while."

  Raising an eyebrow, his golden brown eyes dancing with mirth, he asked, "Did you find anything interesting in those old books? Any old friends or long-forgotten characters?"

  She shook her head and replied, "Nothing of the sort, I'm afraid. Quite a lot of dust and a reminder that I ought to do a better job caring for my belongings are pretty much all I ran into." Before Art could say anything else, she added, "Well, I must be off. I'm here to check the mail, and then I have some errands to run. Good day, Sheriff."

  Minnie held out her hand for a delicate feminine shake. Art obliged and said, "Good day, ma'am."

  ****

  Art watched in wonder as Minnie stepped through the door into the stage office. She'd slipped a note to him when he'd taken her hand. Then, as soon as he was distracted by the note, she'd snagged his coffee cup from him to take back inside. "The little minx," he said to himself as he started walking back toward the center of town.

  A short time later, Art hung his hat as he entered his office. He sat at his desk and leaned back in his chair, ready to read the note from Minnie away from prying eyes.

  I saw the man following Dad. I think I'm being followed too. Blond hair in need of cutting and ragged clothes in need of cleaning. Scary looking. I went through two trunks and found nothing. Will search the third today. Am going to have a fight with my parents and move to hotel tomorrow. Need to remove the danger from them. I should be safe at hotel, lots of people around. I'll be checking in tomorrow around noon. If I've found anything, I'll have it for you then.

  Art had no sooner read Minnie's words than he was slamming his hat back on his head and running through the back alley heading toward the hotel. He burst through the hotel's back door into the kitchen, much to the surprise of the kitchen staff. "I need to talk to Samuel. Where can I find him?"

  ****

  Minnie stood in front of her parents' house, her valise in one hand and her reticule in the other. She'd expected her parents to fight more when she'd announced she was moving to the hotel. Instead, her father had said, "Maybe you do need some space. After all, you've been married and have run a home of your own. I think I can understand."

  Her mother, on the other hand, had patted a kerchief against her eyes and said, "I love you, Minnie, and nothing you do will change that." She was torn between feeling guilty for hurting her mother and hurt that her father wasn't angry at her for leaving.

  With one last bewildered look at her parents' home, she marched onto Main Street and headed toward the Larkspur Hotel. Samuel was at the front desk to greet her. "A room, please," she said.

  Samuel, his vest the same hideous green silk Sarah had bought, stared at her and raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

  "I… yes, everything's fine. I just need a room."

  "I thought you were staying with your folks," he said.

  The kindness in his eyes was almost Minnie's undoing. While the urge to tell him everything bubbled up inside her, she forcefully tamped it down, secure in the knowledge that she was protecting her parents. Forcing harshness where she didn't feel it, she said, "I've decided to move out. I need temporary lodgings here. If you're not able to assist me, find someone who can."

  An unidentifiable look flashed through Samuel's eyes, and Minnie felt shame nipping at her heels. Samuel, for his part, did not retaliate in kind. He simply pulled a key off the pegboard, handed it to her and gave her a total for the week. She paid him with her newspaper earnings and marched toward the stairs.

  "I can carry the valise up for you, Minnie. It's part of the service we offer here, you know."

  She glanced back at where Samuel stood behind the counter and shook her head, "Thank you, but no. I'm used to being on my own and doing for myself."

  ****

  Minnie chose to have her dinner sent up to her room rather than joining the families in the dining area below. She'd already done enough to hurt her parents. There was no reason to also scandalize them or the town by making a public spectacle of herself with her most recent decision. Most folks would probably think she was being ungrateful and childish anyway. Why expose herself to their censure?

  Art hadn't been in the hotel lobby when she'd arrived. She'd had a note prepared to hand off to him, and his absence cut deep. He didn't approve of what she was doing; that much was clear.

  She'd found something important, and it was vital she get the information to him. Why'd you have to pick now to abandon me Arty?

  ****

  A knock woke Minnie from her fitful slumber. Looking around in confusion, she thought she must have been dreaming. The knock came again, this time accompanied by someone whispering her name. This was no dream. Climbing out of bed, Minnie put on her dressing gown and belted the sash as she stepped toward the door. The voice was familiar, but it was the middle of the night. Anybody could be on the other side of the door. She didn't know what to do.

  "It's Art. Let me in."

  Torn between being scandalized and thrilled, Minnie yanked open the door and pulled the man inside. "What do you think you're doing here at this time of night?" Her whispered words sounded harsh, even to her own ears.

  Art lumbered over to the lantern and lit it, illuminating the room.

  "I couldn't come at noon, but I wanted to know if you'd found anything."

  "Why on earth would you think the middle of the night is a good idea?"

  "Nobody knows I'm here. I snuck in and peeked at the book to see which room is yours. I made sure nobody was following me, and there was nobody around to see me. Tell me what you found."

  "I have half a mind to make you wait 'til daylight for this, Arty Paulson."

  "Minnie, I don't have time to placate your delicate feminine sensibilities. Give it to me."

  Huffing, Minnie stepped over to the bureau and retrieved her reticule. She handed him a photo and a piece of paper.

  Art examined the photo. It was grainy, but he could make out a building with people passing in front of it. Putting it aside, he stole a look at the note. It was in Minnie's handwriting. She must have intended to pass it to him with the photo earlier today.

  It's a photo taken for the San Francisco Chronicle. It's The Palace Hotel on Market Street. It was hidden inside the cover of a book the way you said. The lining had been carefully cut, with this slipped inside. I don't know why it's significant, but it's all I found.

  Squinting his eyes, Art studied the photo. He held it close to the lantern to get a better look before asking, "Do you recognize any of the people in the photo?"

  Minnie shook her head. "Some of the faces are familiar, but The Palace Hotel is famous for attracting the wealthiest and most powerful people. If I recognize someone, it could be because I read a newspaper article about them at another time."

  "How do you know the photo was taken for the Chronicle?"

  Minnie pointed to where the letters BH had been penciled onto the back of the photograph in a corner. "The Chronicle's photographers initial all their photos once developed so, if one gets used in the newspaper, the credit for the photo goes to the correct person. I can't remember all their names, but I know I've seen the initials BH on some of the photos before."

  Art nodded, still examining the photo.

  An unfamiliar sound came from the hallway. Art put his hand over Minnie's mouth, lifted her off the ground as if she were no heavier than a kitten, and pulled her into a darkened corner of the room. Once he set her down, he whispered in her ear, "No matter what happens, don't make a sound." Then he placed himself between her and door, effectively trapping her into the corner of the room and giving her no way of escape.

  Art put the photo and her note into the inner pocket of his vest then drew his pistol right as someone tried the doorknob from the hallway. Because she had unlocked the door to let him in, the knob now turned without resistance. The door creaked open inch by painstaking inch, and a man stepped inside. It was the man Minnie had seen following her. His odor reached her long before he stepped across the threshold of her room, but what arrested her attention the most was the large knife in his hand.

  The man had taken no more than two steps into her room when a second large form rose from the shadows and walloped him on the head. The intruder's body fell into a heap on the floor. Minnie fought the urge to scream in fright, but a familiar voice came from the hallway, saying, "Curse it all, I was at least hoping for some bloodshed." How could she be terrified with Art protecting her and Samuel's voice implying that all was well?

  Samuel quickly stepped into the room and stuffed a gag into the unconscious man's mouth while Art, leaving her in the corner, helped drag the man further into the room and secure him to the bedpost.

  Flashing a smile her way, Samuel said, "Evenin', Minnie."

  "S-Samuel?" He winked at her and went back to making sure the man's hands and legs were tightly bound. "W-why did you want bloodshed?"

  Standing to his full height, Samuel took a step toward her. "Promise not to tell?"

  Minnie nodded.

  "This is the most horrendous looking vest Sarah has ever made me. I love my wife, but I sure was hoping to get some blood on this vest before the day was out so I could tell her it'd been ruined. Until it gets ruined, I'm going to have to keep wearing it."

  Laughter bubbled up inside Minnie but hadn't quite spilled over yet when Art stepped toward her. "I need you to stay here and keep an eye on the prisoner. If he makes any attempt to get away, scream. We have something we need to take care of. I should be back within the hour."

  "You're leaving me here with him?"

  Art gave a brisk nod. "We need to take care of the other man, too, and then I'll return. You'll be safe. He has no other weapons on him. If he wakes and makes you uncomfortable, feel free to hit him, berate him, or shoot him if you have a derringer handy. Make sure to aim for the leg so he can't get away."

  Minnie nodded mutely and then sat in a chair far away from the man with the greasy hair and terrible smell.

  It wasn't until after Samuel and Art had exited the room that she wondered, "How did they know?"

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hurrying down the hallway as quietly as they could, Art said to Samuel, "With one more to apprehend, there's still a chance to get some blood on that vest yet."

  "If I'm lucky," came the cheeky reply.

  "Aim for the nose this time," Art said with a quiet chuckle.

  Upon entering the hotel dining room, they found the mayor pacing. As soon as he heard them, he lifted his head and pierced them with anxious eyes. "Is she okay?"

  "She's fine, Mayor, and the assailant is tied up and out cold. Now for the next phase," said Art.

  Samuel then led the mayor to the front lobby of the hotel while Art snuck through the kitchen and out the back door. Staying hidden from view, Samuel nodded to the mayor, who stepped out onto the boardwalk and began making his way toward home. He didn't get far before there was a scuffle behind him. By the time the mayor spun around to look for the source of the sound, Samuel and Art were carrying between them the unconscious form of the man who'd been following him.

  Together, they all hurried to the sheriff's office where they secured the prisoner in one of the two cells. Mayor Smith stayed behind to keep an eye on him as Art and Samuel dashed out to go retrieve the other man. They arrived back at the hotel to find Minnie sitting in the same chair they'd left her in. The man tied to the bedpost was beginning to stir but hadn't fully regained consciousness yet.

  Samuel made quick work of getting him untied from the bed while Art went over and knelt in front of Minnie. "We've got the man who was following your dad in custody as well. He's locked up at the sheriff's office, and your dad is watching him. We're going to bring this one down there, as well, so we can begin questioning them both as soon as they wake up. Your father would very much like to see you, so once we leave, please get dressed. Samuel will be back soon with your father so you can speak to him, but you can't take too long. People are going to stir soon, and we'd prefer to have everyone back where they're supposed to be before daybreak."

  "Is my dad okay?"

  "He's fine."

  "How did you know someone would break into my room?"

  "You insisted on making yourself vulnerable. If I were the bad guy, I wouldn't have wasted this opportunity."

  "Where was Samuel when you were in my room?"

  "Art, we're ready to go," Samuel said from where he stood by the bed.

  Looking at Minnie, Art said, "Can I explain later? I knew you were in danger, and I took steps to protect you. I won't apologize for it, either."

  Minnie nodded. "I'll be ready shortly. Should I wait in my room or come down to the lobby?"

  "I'd feel better if you stayed in your room," Art replied.

  Minnie nodded and then looked over to where Samuel stood. Giving him a pert grin, she said, "I see you still didn't manage to get blood on your vest."

  The hideous green of his vest flashed in the light from the lantern. "Don't remind me. At this rate, I'm going to have to cut myself while shaving."

  ****

  A short time later, a muted knock came at Minnie's door. She opened it for Samuel and her father, who both stepped in, closing the door behind them. "Minnie," was all her father had to say before she threw herself into his arms.

  "Is everyone all right?" she asked.

  The mayor nodded and said, "No one is hurt, save the two men presently locked in the jail's cells."

  "What on earth happened tonight? I don't understand what's going on. It seems as if there was some sort of plot nobody told me about." Minnie, fighting curiosity more than frustration, sat down in one of the room's chairs. Her father took the other, and Samuel remained standing near the doorway.

  "As soon as Art learned you were being followed, too," her father said, "he came to me. The man watching me didn't seem too threatening, so we'd decided to leave him alone and wait for him to tip his hand." Reaching out and touching Minnie's knee, he said, "When we realized you were in danger, too, we couldn't take any chances. While we both thought using you as bait would be the best way to catch the man, neither Art nor I was willing to put you in that kind of situation. The risk to you was simply too great."

 

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