An Agent for Julia Read online

  “Did you forget we’re married?”

  Julia closed her eyes and shook her head. “No, how can I forget that? It’s the only part of this partnership that made me think twice about joining the Pinkertons, but I’m going to do my best to be a good wife and partner. You deserve my respect for both, too, just like I expect yours.”

  West smiled again. “You’re going to be a good wife?”

  “Yes,” Julia snapped. “Within reason. Don’t get any ideas, Mister Lange. This marriage is on paper only. A marriage of convenience and necessity. Remember what Mister Gordon explained.”

  “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “Oh yes, I can, and don’t forget I’m armed.”

  Chapter 5

  As the train began moving after filling with water at the tiny village stop, the conductor hurried up to West with a piece of paper in his hand. “This arrived at the telegraph office for you just before the train was about to leave,” the conductor explained.

  West thanked him and took the offered telegram and scanned it.

  “This case keeps getting more and more interesting,” West explained. “From what information the sheriff in New Mexico has gathered, our suspect is female.”

  “We’re chasing a woman?” Julia asked, surprise crossing her face.

  “Appears so,” West answered and held up the yellow telegram in his hand.

  He continued, “What we know is she was born Kate Marie Schuman. Hated her mother for whatever reason, no one seems to know. Mother’s name is Marie, and Kate legally changed her name to toss away any connection to her mother, asking to become Kate Schuman Mulligan.”

  “Mulligan?” Julia asked.

  West shrugged. “Somewhere along the way, she either married some man named Mulligan or latched onto the name for more anonymity.”

  “Interesting,” Julia mused, shaking her head. “If she hates her mother, it could be the catalyst for her wanting the treasure to best her but murder? If this is true, she killed the priest in New Mexico and attacked Father Dominic.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time a woman killed for money, love, or hate. A more detailed report should be waiting for us by the time we reach the train station,” West explained. “They’re sending additional information via telegraph and a written report that may not arrive for a few days depending on the mail.”

  Julia bit her lower lip and scrunched her forehead in thought before saying, “I understand how a child-parent relationship can become tense or even brutal, but I can’t imagine hurting my mother the way it seems Kate has hurt hers. My world fell apart when I lost my mother, and if I could have her back, I’d never do anything to hurt her.” Julia turned her head to look out the train window, not wanting West to see the tears form in her eyes.

  West shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say. “The world is full of people, and each one is different. Some have no empathy and were born cruel. I’ve seen men that I would swear had no soul, and if they did, they’d sold it to Hell long ago.”

  Julia nodded her agreement. “It’s just hard to imagine that we’re chasing a female murderer and not just reading about it in a book or newspaper. I suppose it’s not out of the question to suspect a female, but I always thought they preferred poison. She hit the priest over the head.”

  “You were sheltered in that convent too long,” West insisted. “The world can be an ugly place.”

  “It can also be and usually is a beautiful place. You need to look past your negativity,” Julia retorted.

  “Usually, if you’re not in our line of work. I’ve seen more negativity and crime than I care to remember,” West admitted.

  Julia leaned closer and put her hand on West’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you were only looking for the bad in everything. I know you’ve seen much more than I have, and we have different perspectives.”

  West looked into Julia’s large brown eyes and felt drawn to her as if he were drowning and didn’t care. He quickly shook off the feeling and answered, “It’s good that we see things differently. It makes us good partners when we can share different opinions and look at all the possibilities.”

  West pulled back away from Julia, fighting his desire to reach out, pull her close, and kiss her.

  When the brakes screeched, and the train began to slow, West said, “Are you ready to continue this investigation on a stagecoach and then horseback? I never did ask if you could ride. Did they allow you to ride horses in the convent?”

  Frustration flashed in Julia’s eyes. “Is there something about me that bothers you? Every time you ask me something about my life or what knowledge I have or don’t have, you refer to the convent. I spent two years there. Two. Not my entire life. It was a time of reflection and healing. I grew up on a farm. Of course, I can ride a horse.”

  “I’m sorry again. I don’t know how to explain this without sounding condescending, but you look delicate. I don’t know how to say it better. I’m afraid that you will go into a situation where you won’t be strong enough to fight your way out.”

  Julia blew out a breath. “If it will ease your mind some, I can tell you that after my father died, my brother and I did most of the farm work. Mother seemed to lose part of her zest for life and stayed in the house, mostly baking or cooking. I learned how to dig post holes, set the posts, and nail the fence rails in place. I also helped my brother plant and bring in crops. Have you ever pulled hay bales into the hayloft?”

  West slowly shook his head. “I grew up in town.”

  Julia laughed. “I should have known. Don’t worry about me protecting myself. When Claude Kroll tried to kiss me at a barn dance, I flipped him onto his back and broke his arm. The broken arm wasn’t intentional, but he learned his lesson, and the other boys did, too.”

  West, at a loss for words, simply nodded at the petite woman and reached above his head to pull down his traveling case. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if Julia would break his arm if he attempted to help her. Still, he decided she was his partner and wife, and he pulled her bag down also.

  “Thank you,” Julia said in a melodious voice that made his heart beat faster. This woman would drive him insane before the case was over, he knew it for a fact.

  When Julia stepped off the train in Cheyenne, she stopped for a moment to glance at her surroundings. The town appeared the way she expected a western town to be right down to men riding horses down the middle of the street wearing cowboy hats and six-guns. It was a far cry from the streets of Milwaukee or even Denver, and Julia thought she’d like the west.

  Julia turned to West when she heard him drop her carpetbag next to her. “This town is as rustic as I expected. I think I’m going to enjoy this adventure. I mean case.”

  “If you think this is an adventure, wait until we get to the small town where the priest has set up his church. I understand it’s little more than a stage-stop, and you’ll think Cheyenne is a huge city in comparison.”

  “Come now, it can’t be that bad.”

  West just shrugged. “If it helps you to get some idea, the place is called Smiley. It’s named after the man who runs the stage-stop. There’s a saloon, a small hotel and café, a general store owned by Smiley, and a questionable boarding house.”

  “Questionable?” Julia asked.

  West stared at his boots for a moment before saying, “Some of the rooms are rented by the hour.”

  “I understand, but what confuses me is why a new church was built in such a small town? Do you suppose they have many parishioners?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose there are ranches in the area, but how many we’ll have to wait and see. There must be a reason. Perhaps we’ll learn more in the information that I hope is waiting for us. Are you ready to head to the hotel? I could use a steak and a soft bed.”

  Julia didn’t move, and West looked at her.

  “What’s wrong,” he asked.

  “The hotel. Are we supposed to say we’re married while here or no
t?”

  “Of course, that is part of our undercover identities. We’re a married couple on our way to visit relatives or something. I’ll answer any questions that come up,” West assured her.

  “All right,” Julia said, “but as a married couple, the hotel will give us a room with one bed. How are we supposed to sleep?”

  West groaned. “I’ll sleep on the floor. I’ve slept on the ground many times while on a case; the floor will be better than that.”

  “That wouldn’t be fair. We’re both working this case together. We should share the difficulties. We can take turns sleeping on the floor,” Julia insisted.

  West shrugged and nodded, “All right, if you insist.” He knew he’d never let Julia sleep on the floor, but the prudent thing now seemed to be to agree with her.

  West picked up their bags again, and Julia followed him to the hotel. With luck, the information they needed would be waiting for them when they checked in, and they could begin the investigation in earnest.

  Chapter 6

  Julia settled into the hotel room and watched as a young maid filled a large copper tub with hot water.

  West said, “I’ll be gone for an hour to give you time for a bath and whatever else you need to do. I’m going to see if there are any telegrams for us.”

  Julia smiled, and before she could say thank you, West hurried from the room. West strode down the hall, the stairs, and out the hotel’s front doors before he lost his battle to return and kiss the beautiful woman he just left in his, no their, hotel room.

  West grumbled as he walked to the telegraph office. How could Archie force them to get married? If they were unmarried and just using marriage as part of their cover, he could share a room with her and see her as only a fellow agent. That wasn’t the case. They were married, but there were limitations in their agreement. Julia was a beautiful woman, but marriage was never on his horizon. Marriage was for men who wanted to settle down into a dull routine like his brother-in-law, wasn’t it? Of course, then why did he feel drawn to Julia, to his wife, when he didn’t want a wife? West tried his best to shake the thoughts from his head before entering the telegraph office.

  Pulling open the door to the small office and stepping inside, West said, “Good morning,” to the bespectacled elderly gentleman behind the desk. “Do you have any telegrams for West Lange or for me and my wife, Julia?”

  The man grinned at West and answered, “I sure do. Wondered when you’d get here. I have four of them. Two came in yesterday and two this morning.”

  West took the four yellow papers and scanned them. He quickly wrote an answer and paid for the telegrams to be sent to Denver immediately.

  Wishing the elderly telegrapher a good day, West hurried from the office and headed back to the hotel. He had information to share with Julia, but he stopped in his tracks and changed direction to the sheriff’s office. After a quick word with the sheriff, West hurried to the office of the stage company to inquire about the next stage to Smiley

  When West arrived back at the hotel, he knocked before entering. The last thing he wanted to do was barge in on Julia while she was bathing--wife or not.

  When Julia opened the door, West was immediately and pleasantly assaulted by the sweet smell of roses and lilacs. As he stepped through the door, he realized the closer he stood to Julia, the more her scent enveloped him. Why did she have to be so lovely? Why couldn’t Archie have hired a homely spinster? West breathed in deeply again and pulled himself back to reality.

  “Four telegrams were waiting for us,” West said as he handed Julia the first one. “It seems as if Kate has disappeared into thin air. People saw her around town, and then she was gone, and no one recalls her leaving. She didn’t take the train, rent a horse or buggy, or hire a wagon and driver. At least not that the sheriff could discover. I also spoke to the sheriff here, and he said he hasn’t seen any newcomers matching her description.”

  Julia bit her bottom lip and seemed lost in thought before she said, “She must have left town in disguise. If I were her, I’d dress as a man to fit in and leave without drawing any attention to myself.”

  West grinned. “You’d never pull it off. You couldn’t hide being a woman under any amount of men’s clothing.”

  Julia shot him a look with raised eyebrows, and West lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I only meant it’s hard for a woman to hide in men’s clothing. They wouldn’t fit right.”

  Julia shook her head. “It isn’t hard. Wear loose old clothes. Bind up what you want smaller and add a little padding where you want to look strong or bulky. Don’t underestimate the female mind.”

  West nodded and handed her the second telegram. “The Bishop paid Archie a visit and reiterated that this must be kept as quiet as possible. I still don’t understand the secrecy, but I suppose we’ll find out more when we get to Smiley.”

  He continued. “The third telegram is disturbing. Father Dominic was attacked in his church. He’s doing all right, but we need to get to Smiley quickly. I bought tickets for tomorrow morning’s stage.”

  “That’s good. We need to leave right away,” Julia agreed. “If Kate found out where he was headed, she might have followed him. If he was attacked once, he’s in danger from another attack.”

  “That could be, but the fourth telegram says that Smiley has seen an increase in shady characters in the past several days. No trouble yet, but these guys are just hanging around town,” West told her.

  “They are after that ridiculous bounty, I’m sure,” Julia offered. “Wouldn’t it attract all sorts and the worst of the worst in the process?”

  “Yeah,” West nodded. “Easy money always attracts the worst sort of person, especially when all they have to do is steal something. For that amount of money, many men wouldn’t stop at killing either. We need to see what’s going on with Father Dominic.”

  “Agreed,” Julia said, “but first we need a good supper and some sleep.”

  West followed Julia out the door to the dining room where they enjoyed a good meal and whispered about sleeping arrangements until West put his foot down. He insisted that not only was he the head agent on the mission but also her husband and Julia would sleep in the bed.

  Julia glared at West but finally agreed that she would for one night, but the next night she would sleep on the floor.

  The stage ride to Smiley was a bit rougher than West expected, and he glanced at Julia each time the stage hit a bump or rut in the road. At one deep rut, the coach rocked from side to side, and West reached out and grabbed Julia’s arm to keep her from falling off the seat.

  “Thank you,” Julia said as she settled back onto the seat.

  West didn’t release Julia’s arm and said, “I better hold onto you for the rest of the ride. I doubt the road is going to get any smoother.”

  Julia smiled at West, and part of her wanted to tell him she’d be all right, and part wanted him to keep holding tightly to her arm. The independent woman and the gentile female in her fought, and she decided to let the gentle side win. She enjoyed feeling West close to her.

  After several minutes, the road smoothed a bit, and Julia fell asleep. When she leaned toward West and her head snuggled onto his shoulder, he smiled and held her arm a little tighter.

  When Julia woke, she sat up straight, quickly trying to disengage her arm from West’s. A blush crawled up her face as she tried to adjust herself in her seat. The elderly woman occupying the seat across from her with a broad grin across her face didn’t help Julia’s embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry,” Julia stammered. “I never meant to fall asleep and lean against you.”

  “No need to apologize,” West assured her. “It didn’t bother me at all,” he said and winked, causing the blush on Julia’s cheeks to deepen.

  The elderly woman leaned a bit closer to Julia and said, “It’s nice to see a young couple enjoying each other’s company. Take my advice and remain close all your lives. No matter how old
you are, a hug and a kiss can cure a multitude of problems between a husband and wife. I think if you remember that, you’ll also remember the love that brought the two of you together.”

  Julia wanted to say it wasn’t love that brought her and West together, but she couldn’t find the words. How did you explain to anyone that you married for employment training and convenience? It sounded cold, and she worried the woman would see her as a conniving woman using West to gain a better position in life. Julia settled on a smile and a quiet, “Thank you.”

  West’s eyes danced with mischief when he looked at Julia and whispered, “I like the idea of hugging and kissing whenever we disagree. It might make this case much more interesting.”

  Julia bit back her retort. She wanted to tell West that hugging and kissing were not part of their case, but her heart raced at the idea of kissing West. She mentally scolded herself for having such thoughts, but her heart betrayed her. She just smiled at West, but she could tell from the look on his face that he assumed she agreed with him.

  What was she getting herself into? This was her job. Her training as a Pinkerton agent. She couldn’t make time for romance, no matter how handsome or appealing her husband was. She had to force herself to see him as her trainer, not her husband.

  Chapter 7

  The stage stopped in front of a small, dilapidated building, and the driver yelled, “Smiley. Fifteen-minute stop. You can get out and stretch your legs or go in the station and get something to drink while we change horses.”

  West asked the driver if there was a hotel in town because his new wife wasn’t used to stage travel.

  The driver laughed and said, “Women are more trouble than they’re worth, but yes, there is a new hotel across from the saloon. It’s small, and they don’t get many customers. If you decide to travel on when I leave, she could get something to eat and rest a bit in Smiley’s.”