Redemption Read online

  ****

  Art watched her closely, wishing she'd say more. When she didn't, he gave her a single nod. "I'll telegraph Detective Wilcox and let him know you've arrived and that I've received the letter. In the meantime, I'll be needing to keep an eye on you. While it might not be the best way to go about it, I think I'm going to be coming by a couple evenings each week."

  Minnie's eyes widened.

  "We won't call it courting, but that's what people will think." Silence met his remark. "It's the only way that we'll be able to have private conversations, and I have a feeling that we'll need to be having more than a few of those in the coming weeks. Unless you have a better idea that will allow me to keep tabs on you while not alerting the town to what's going on?"

  "I'm still in mourning," she said.

  "That you are." He contemplated the situation and the woman sitting on the cot before saying, "It'll no doubt get a few tongues to wagging, but that kind of gossip has to be better than the alternative, don't you think?"

  Minnie's face told him she felt backed into a corner. She acquiesced, but the stubborn tilt of her chin declared her true feelings. "It's been five months since he died. I suppose that will play in my favor with the townsfolk. I'm going to continue to dress in mourning, and that's not open for discussion."

  "Maybe something grey instead of black all the time?"

  Sadness shadowing her face, Minnie said, "We'll see."

  "In that case," Arty said, standing from his chair and setting his hat back onto his head, "I believe it's time for me to smuggle you out of here so that you can go say hello to your parents."

  Minnie's eyes toured the small room. "Where are my shoes?"

  Recapturing that folksy tone he'd first used with her, Art said, "Well, Miss Minnie, let me tell you how it is. You done stepped in some dung, and it smelled something awful. So I left your shoes out on the back porch." He kept the smile to himself as he watched the delicate blush climb up Minnie's porcelain neck and cheeks.

  Chapter Three

  After leading her out the back of the sheriff's office, Art offered Minnie his arm and began strolling along like someone without a care in the world. He maneuvered around the next building and brought them back to the boardwalk a few steps before they got to the mayor's office, the most likely place to find her father. Opening the door for Minnie, he said, "After you, ma'am."

  Minnie stepped through the door to the mayor's office and found the place deserted. She eyed Art, uncertain what she should do next.

  "Lunch hour, I'd say." He didn't seem concerned.

  There was a time when insecurity would have been uncharacteristic of Minnie, unheard of even. Her skittering heartbeat reminded her how much times had changed. How much she had changed.

  An older woman entered from a back room, startling Minnie with her abrupt appearance. "Sheriff Paulson, is the mayor expecting you?"

  "No, ma'am," he answered. "I've got someone here that I'm sure he'll want to see. We'll show ourselves on through." The matron huffed her indignation at them, but Art didn't seem the least bit daunted.

  Minnie put her hand on Art's arm to stall him. He glanced down at her, questions lurking in the depths of his eyes, but she had no answers to offer. She took a couple deep breaths, put what she hoped was a young and carefree look on her face, and then gave him a nod. Moving her hand from where it rested on his forearm, Art tucked it into the crook of his elbow. He must have felt her trembling because he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before stepping over the threshold into the mayor's office. "I found a stray wandering around, Mayor Smith, and thought you might know someone willing to give her a place to rest her head tonight."

  The mayor glanced up from the papers on his desk, worry etched into the lines of his brow until he saw the people standing in his office. Without a word, he jumped out of his chair, pushing it so hard that it rattled into the wall behind him. His moist eyes swimming in emotion, he reached out and pulled his daughter into his embrace, holding her tight. Minnie, who believed she had done everything wrong and should have lost her parents' love long ago, wrapped her arms around her father and buried her face in his chest much as she'd done as a child. While she'd a decade ago graduated to calling him Dad, she squeezed him tight and said, her voice raw with emotion, "Daddy, I've missed you."

  When her father reluctantly set her away from him, she noticed that Art had left the two of them alone and closed the door behind him. Looking into her father's eyes, she saw so many questions and so much hurt. "I've been a terrible daughter, and I'm so sorry."

  "None of that now," he said soothingly. "Your mother and I have been so worried about you. She wanted to come to you. We received your letter saying that William had passed, and she was at the stage office before I could stop her. I talked her out of it, though. I-I didn't think our interference would be welcome." Questions lurked in his eyes, but Minnie ignored them.

  "I'm glad of that," she said. "It wouldn't have done for Mum to be there. There are things…" her voice trailed off as she tried to think of a delicate way to explain she hadn't told them everything.

  Mayor Smith placed a finger under the chin of his youngest daughter and raised her face until she met his gaze. "You will say there are things we don't know, and I've no doubt you are correct. In truth, we know more than you give us credit for. I will not force you to speak to me about it, but I hope that the day will come when you feel you can trust me enough to share with me what has been going on in your life."

  "It's never been a matter of trust," she said, her voice worn raw with the weight of all the words she held back. "There's no one I trust more than you and Mum. It's just that…"

  Smiling gently into his daughter's eyes, he said, "It's just that you want to protect and shield us because we are old and frail and will expire on the spot if you tell us anything too shocking or shameful, is that it?"

  How she had missed seeing that special twinkle in her father's eyes. Lifting his hand from where it still rested under her chin, she gave his fingers a kiss before holding them to her cheek. "I love you and Mum so much. I couldn't bear to hurt you more than I already have," she said.

  "Any hurt we've suffered is because you didn't allow us into your life to share in your trials and triumphs with you." His eyes brimmed with tenderness. "It is a parent's greatest honor, you know, to stand beside their child through the good and the bad."

  "There's been a lot of bad, but I don't want to talk about it right now."

  "All right, Minnie, but remember, my door is always open to you." She nodded and released his hand. He stared for a moment before clearing his throat and asking, "So, are you here for a visit or to stay?"

  Feeling cornered, she said, "I'm not entirely sure yet. I-I want to stay, but I'm not quite sure if I'll be able to."

  Giving her a smile that was somehow dimmer than she remembered, Mayor Smith held out his arm to his daughter and said, "Well then, shall we go surprise your mother?"

  ****

  Mrs. Smith's shriek echoed through the house as Minnie and the mayor caught her unaware in the middle of kneading bread dough. Before a minute was past, Minnie's black cotton mourning gown was so dusted with flour that the original color was lost. Mrs. Smith immediately wanted to throw open the doors and invite people for a huge celebration to mark her daughter's homecoming, but Minnie and the mayor forestalled her. "Honest, Mum, I'm so tired. I'd enjoy a bath and a bit of a rest before a quiet dinner with the two of you, if that's okay. I neither want nor warrant a lot of fanfare."

  Wrapping her daughter in another floured hug, Mrs. Smith said, "Of course, dear. Whatever you want. Your father will fetch your trunks from the stage office, and I'll start heating water for a bath. We use the kitchen now for bathing. It's easier on the back than hauling all that water upstairs," she said.

  Minnie, taking a good look at her parents, saw they both looked fit and well, but older than when she had left for college nearly four and a half years ago. There was more grey in their hair,
more wrinkles on their faces, and more sadness in their eyes. Not allowing for the fact that they had other children or friends and families that could have contributed, Minnie took the guilt for it all on her own shoulders and vowed to do everything she could to make it up to them.

  A firm knock came at the kitchen door, the one that opened from the room into the house's side yard. Mayor Smith stepped past the women and opened it to find Art there with one of Minnie's trunks hefted over his shoulder. "Oh, Sheriff Paulson, that's so nice of you. This way, please. I'll show you where it goes," Mrs. Smith said, wiping the flour from her hands and the tears from her eyes before leading him up the stairs.

  In short order, Art got all three trunks delivered to her room. Her father raised his eyebrows imperceptibly as he saw the third trunk come through. Minnie was thankful he didn't voice the questions she could see in his eyes. She had, more or less, brought all of her earthly possessions home with her. No one who'd seen all the trunks would ever believe she was home for a simple visit.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, Minnie arose and dressed for the day in another black dress. Upon seeing her, Mrs. Smith made a sound halfway between a cluck and a tsk. "Have you any colors to wear besides black? It's been almost six months, hasn't it?"

  "I would prefer to honor the tradition of a full year's mourning." When her mother continued to look at her, the barest hint of sadness in her expression, Minnie added, "But I do believe I fancy the idea of a dress or two made in a lighter color. Perhaps grey. What do you think?"

  Smiling, Mrs. Smith said, "We can go buy material this morning, if you want. The mercantile has some decent selections."

  Minnie put her hand on her mother's arm and said, "Mum, do you think you could take care of it for me? I'm going to head over to the hotel this morning and say hello to Sarah and Samuel, and meet their son. I've heard so much about him in letters. Besides, I'm sure it would hurt Sarah terribly if she heard from someone other than me that I was back in town."

  "Of course, dear," her mother said. "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll go buy material, and you spend the morning with Sarah. Whenever you get back here, we'll decide on patterns and get to work on making a dress or two." If Minnie knew her mother, the woman would come home with enough material for at least six dresses.

  Minnie's over-the-top generosity had come from her mother. Sadly, that was one of the things that had first attracted William's attention. He had figured that, for someone to be as generous with others as she had been, that person must have a substantial allowance or income. Sharing with others because it was both Christ like and kind would never have occurred to him. Minnie, however, hadn't realized that until it was too late.

  Shoving that depressing thought down, Minnie kissed her mother on the cheek and sailed out the front door.

  ****

  Art was enjoying his breakfast in the hotel dining room when he caught sight of Minnie walking at a rapid pace along the boardwalk. Involuntarily, his hand went to the letter in his vest pocket. He'd read it over several times the previous night and had written a return letter to the San Francisco detective, asking numerous questions. The requested telegram had also been sent off. Instructions from the detective had indicated he should keep wired communications vague. He'd kept it simple. Package arrived.

  Pushing his hat back on his head and relaxing in his chair, he took a drink of coffee and watched as Minnie walked into the hotel's dining room. She stood unmoving, unobtrusively examining the space around her, as if afraid to draw too much attention to herself. Her eyes found him, and surprise flashed through their emerald depths. Now was as good a time as any for her to begin learning she could trust him. He winked at her then hollered, "Sarah, do you think I could get some more coffee out here?"

  Sarah came rushing out from the kitchen saying, "Sorry, Art. Two waitresses ending up sick on the same morning is more than I ever bargained for." Swishing past Minnie, she said, "I'll be with you in a moment, miss," and then filled Art's coffee cup. Turning around to greet the new diner, Sarah screamed and dropped the entire pot of coffee.

  Coffee poured out of the thankfully metal carafe and splashed the wooden floor, Sarah's dress and apron, Minnie, and even some of the nearby tables. Samuel came running into the dining room from another part of the hotel, and Ethan, who was in his arms, started screaming at the ruckus. Enjoying his vantage point, Art watched the reunion.

  "Minnie, oh, Minnie! When? How? When? What? Oh, Minnie!" Sarah pulled her dear friend into a long embrace.

  Ethan, getting jealous, squealed and started yelling, "Hug! Hug!"

  Samuel tried to quiet the ball of energy in his arms. "Now hold on a minute, son. Let Mommy say hello to her friend first."

  Aghast, Sarah looked at the floor and nearby tables. "Oh, dear. I've made such a mess."

  Samuel plunked Ethan into his mother's arms and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "No worries, dear. You, Ethan, and Minnie go have a nice visit in our private quarters. I'll get this cleaned up and see to any other breakfast guests that come in."

  "You're sure?" Sarah gaped at him. "You don't usually serve the diners."

  "I'll be fine. You two have a lot of catching up to do, and I'll not be the ogre that gets in the way of your reunion."

  Taking pity on Samuel, Art fetched a towel before helping him to wipe up the spilled coffee. Together, they made quick work of it. With the next breakfast rush due to arrive soon, Samuel slipped out of the dining room to get some clean tablecloths. In his absence, Art placed a couple bills down on his table, then headed out the door and over to the mayor's office.

  A note from the mayor had been delivered hours prior. The mayor was requesting an early morning audience. Art had expected to be called in for a meeting and was sure he knew what the mayor wanted. He'd spent the night mulling over how best to keep his oath to the town of Larkspur while keeping his word to Minnie.

  Lord, it would be mighty fine with me if You'd like to put a hand on how this meeting goes.

  ****

  "Sheriff, come on in," Mayor Smith said as Art entered his office. The matron of the outer office hadn't made her appearance yet today, so they would have some privacy for their conversation.

  "Good morning, Mayor. How's the Missus this morning?"

  "Happy to have her youngest chick back in the nest. Her goal for today is to get Minnie out of mourning clothes, but my girl's a stubborn one. I'm hoping they come to a happy compromise."

  Indicating the chair on the opposite side of the desk from his own, the mayor said, "Have a seat, please." Deciding not to stall, Art sat down and waited to see what the man would have to say. He didn't have long to wait. "What did Minnie say to you before you brought her here yesterday?"

  "I'm not at liberty to discuss anything that was told to me in confidence."

  Mayor Smith gave him a hard look. "Her mother and I have been through a lot with her. We know she hasn't told us everything that's gone on in her life since she moved to California. If there is something happening that we can help her with, I want to know about it."

  Art kept his seat, removed his hat, and leaned forward, forearms resting on his thighs. Then he said, "With all due respect, Mayor, what are you saying?"

  "I hired a private investigator at one point to try to find her and make sure she was okay."

  Art had definitely not expected that. Sitting back, he said, "So you know more of her situation than she is aware."

  The mayor nodded.

  "That doesn't change that I gave her my word, and I won't break it."

  "You have a sworn duty to this city, Art."

  Art stood up, pushed his hat back onto his head, and took a step toward the door. Before he put his hand on the knob, he turned and said, "Mayor," emphasizing the title, "you either trust me to do my job, or you don't. If you don't, then you need to be doing something about that."

  "Sit down." When Art stared at the older man but made no move, the mayor said, "Sheriff, please sit. Let's st
art this conversation over."

  Returning to the seat he'd vacated, Art again removed his hat. Sitting back, he struck a deceptively relaxed pose.

  "I didn't mean to pull rank on you, and I'm not threatening your job. She's my daughter, and I've spent far too many months frantic with worry for her over these past years. Forgive me my father's love, and let's have a rational conversation."

  Art nodded to him.

  "Without breaking any promises you've made to my daughter, please tell me what you can."

  "She came on the morning stage yesterday." Art thought his next words over carefully before saying, "Whatever went on in California changed her. She's not the same Minnie who left here."

  The mayor nodded before saying, "I assume you know more than you're telling me?" When Art nodded, the mayor said, "Is anything that you are holding back going to pose a threat to my family or to Larkspur?"

  "I'm not sure yet. I am going to be doing some investigating."

  "If you determine that there is a threat to anyone in this town, will you tell me?"

  Art gave Mayor Smith a steady look before saying, "My priority is the safety of the citizens of Larkspur. Safety looks different depending on the situation. If I believe there is a threat to the town, I'll take the necessary action to protect Larkspur. The same goes if there's a threat to a single citizen or family, but that's something I'd be able to do more quietly without getting as many people involved."

  Minnie's father steepled his fingers on his desk and gazed into the distance before returning his eyes to Art and saying, "She got swept off her feet and married before we even knew she was serious about anyone. We learned about the wedding after the fact. By then it was too late. I immediately had the man investigated and discovered he was a scoundrel of the worst sort. He spent more time in gaming houses and opium dens than he did at home with his new bride. Minnie dropped out of college to wed, and she did not end up with the marriage she thought she was getting."