Lightning and Lace

chapter 33

“Do you honestly think we’re going to find that knife in these woods?” Grant said.

“If God wills it.” Travis picked up a fallen log. “Yesterday Sylvia helped us search for it. She was real anxious. I imagine she’d have come with us today if we’d asked.”

“I think you’re both crazy to think it’s here.”

Morgan bent to examine the ground not far from where Travis and Grant worked. “Little brother, are you complaining?”

“Not at all. Just questioning the good sense of what we’re doing. So what if the knife we find came from Heaven’s Gate? You’re still looking at a handful of suspects.”

“Don’t forget the boots,” Morgan said.

“That doesn’t mean Lester killed Rosie.” Travis regretted his words the moment they hit air. His hunch hadn’t played out yet, and he surely didn’t want to look like a fool.

“What do you mean?” Grant said. “Aren’t those boots and the missing knife why we’re here?”

“Think about it.” Travis gave the log a toss. “Do you honestly think Lester would tramp through anyplace where his boots might get dirty, then not make sure they were cleaned?”

When neither man responded, Travis braved forward. “And if he wanted to hide them, why in the brush behind Heaven’s Gate?”

“Go on,” Morgan said. “I want to know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m saying Lester is a rotten apple, but I don’t think he killed Rosie.”

“Then who did?” Grant said. “One of the girls?”

Travis shrugged. “I’m thinking it was a woman.”

Morgan studied him. “And you don’t think it was Laura or Daisy, do you?”

“Maybe not.”

“As I said before, you think like a lawyer.” Morgan stood and looked around. “I want to find that knife.”

For the next hour, the three men combed the area. Travis planned on turning over every stick and pile of leaves until the knife surfaced. There was no need to rush home. Zack had his schoolwork, and later he planned to visit his mother and tell her about his plans to move home. She’d be elated. Travis already felt miserable, selfish for wanting the young man to stay.

“Hey, I found it.” Grant picked up the blood-and dirt-coated knife. “Looks like the killer gave it a toss. So do we take this to the sheriff?”

“Not sure yet. Anything unusual about it?” Morgan said.

Grant turned it over in his hands. “Yeah. It has the initial “H” carved in the handle. That eliminates Laura or Daisy being a part of the killing.”

Morgan turned to Travis. “Are you still thinking the same thing?”

Travis nodded. “Even more so. I’ve never been a man to accuse another for a crime without proof, but I’m afraid Sylvia killed Rosie.”

Grant handed the knife to his brother. “As gruesome as it sounds, the evidence does point to Sylvia. However, someone could have stolen the knife.”

Travis took a deep breath and told him what he thought really happened to Rosie. “With the poor girl carrying a child, probably Lester’s, and with his having had an affair before that produced children, Sylvia had reason to kill.”

“Doctoring is a whole lot easier than what we’re trying to do,” Grant said. “What happens now?”

“We have to ask a few more questions.” Morgan said. “Want to come along?”

“By all means. Lester may not be real happy with your showing up at Heaven’s Gate wielding one of his knives and asking Sylvia more questions about the night of Rosie’s death. Somebody might need to get stitched up.”

“He’ll be at the bank, and we’ll make sure Sheriff Arthur is due to pay a call.” Morgan turned his attention to Travis. “Brother Travis, I think you need to do the talking.”

“This doesn’t come under the work of a preacher,” Travis said.

“But Sylvia is going to need you,” Morgan said. “You’re the best man for the job.”

Travis wished Morgan or Grant would handle the disagreeable situation, but he understood why he must be the one to talk to Sylvia. This was going to be hard. Real hard.

*****

Bonnie wished her brothers or Travis might have had the consideration to tell her what they were up to. But they hadn’t. Sometimes men behaved like little boys. Jenny said Grant had left their home in the company of Morgan and Travis just after sunrise.

“I’ll be back later,” Grant had said. “Got something important to do. Hope there isn’t an emergency while I’m gone.”

How very responsible.

“How long are you going to wait?” the reverend said.

She shook her head. “Not a minute longer. I have work waiting for me at home. Guess if this is anything crucial, I’ll hear about it later.”

“What’s on your list for today?” the reverend said.

“Why? Do you need me?”

He laughed and raked his fingers through white hair. “Just making conversation. You have more energy lately than ten little gals your size.”

“I’m making up for lost time. To answer your question, I want to check into how much work it would take to widen the creek bed. Every spring, water sweeps over the bank, but by summer, the cattle have to be herded there to drink.”

“Are you planning to help the ranch hands dig it out?”

“Reverend, are you making fun of me?”

“Every chance I get.”

He kissed her cheek, and she hugged her mother, who had been quite amused with Bonnie and the reverend’s bantering.

“Don’t be upset with your brothers and our dear preacher. My guess is they’re attempting to find proof of some lies in Lester’s accusations.”

Bonnie nodded. “If that’s the case, they can stay gone until next week.”

“Will you be at the house mid-afternoon?”

“I should be. Are you planning on making a call?”

“Not me, but I know someone who is.”

“Who?”

“I’m not saying. It’s a surprise.”

She made her way to the back door. “If I hurry, I’ll be finished by noon or so.”

*****

“Afternoon, Sylvia,” Travis said. “Can we talk with you a few minutes?”

“My goodness. Three of you. Perhaps I should have Lester with me.”

“We can talk outside on the porch if that makes you feel better. I hope you don’t mind that we stopped here so close to noon. I understand you’re normally at home by this time, but this shouldn’t take long.” Travis gestured toward the rockers and glider on the porch.

“I need to get my shawl. It’s a mite chilly.”

She disappeared for what Travis considered longer than necessary. Maybe she was apprehensive. He was—clear to his toes.

The door opened, and Sylvia smiled before taking a seat on the glider.

“Brother Travis, is this about our search yesterday?” She blinked and folded her hands in her lap.

“Yes, ma’am. We found the knife near the site where Zack and I found Rosie. We wanted to see you first before—”

“You found the missing knife?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t what we expected. I’d show it to you, but it’s not clean.”

“Is there something I should know?”

“I’m afraid the knife has the letter ‘H’ carved in the handle.”

She sighed. “That set came all the way from Switzerland. I never dreamed it would someday be stained with Rosie’s blood.”

Lord, guide me. “Do you want to tell me about the knife?”

She hesitated. “Do you have any idea how much I love Lester?”

“I’ve often seen it in your eyes.”

“When I realized the knife was missing from home, I simply took the one from here.”

“But you helped us look for it yesterday.” Travis kept his voice calm and his words slow and confident. Praise God for His guidance.

“I know, and I’m sorry. Sometimes it’s real hard to accept the truth about someone you love.” She smiled first at Morgan and then Grant. “Gentlemen, would you care for some fresh custard pie and coffee?”

“No, thank you,” each man said.

“Now, Grant. I’ve never known you to turn down a piece of pie.”

Grant laughed lightly. “Does sound strange, but our topic of conversation has taken my appetite.”

“I imagine so when you’ve dedicated your life to healing—not killing.”

Travis stood up from the rocker and seated himself beside Sylvia, patting her hand in sympathy. He prayed silently for the truth about Rosie’s’ death.

“Can you tell us what happened?”

“Oh, yes. My Lester—” Sylvia’s voice broke, but she quickly regained her composure. “He had a miserable childhood, the oldest of twelve children. They were always hungry. In many ways, Lester still is.” She paused, and a sob escaped her lips.

“We have all day. And I’m right here.”

“Brother Travis, have you prayed for me?”

“I have, and I still am.”

She wiped her eyes. “Lester never loved me. He made that clear on the evening he proposed. My father had left me a rich inheritance and his plain looks. Lester was everything a comely woman would want, let alone a homely one like me. I was a fool to think he might grow to love me. It never happened, but my love for him grew daily. He’s a wonderful businessman, charming and shrewd. He’d tell me about his dreams, and I’d finance them.” She paused and stared into Travis’s face. “I really wanted children. Lester wanted them even more than I did. I don’t think he was kind to his younger brothers and sisters, and being a father would help him make up for that. He talked about a family constantly until he simply gave up. I think he could have forgiven me for my plainness, but he never got over the fact I couldn’t give him children.”

*****

Bonnie lifted a dipper of water to her lips. The hard work felt good, but she was ready to get a hot bath and wash her hair while Lydia Anne napped. Her gaze swept across the ranch in a panoramic view. Yes, her ranch. Christmas had been a splendid time, and she lived in the memories of special moments. God willing, there’d be more. She lifted her face to the chilling breeze and smiled. The future looked good despite the problems with Lester and poor Rosie’s unsolved death. Tomorrow she’d resume her volunteer work at Heaven’s Gate and hopefully persuade Laura and Daisy to speak up.

And dear Travis. Mixed emotions surrounded the mere thought of his name. He’d shown her what it meant to live again, to rely on God for everything. Trust. Faith. Travis had been a rope to grab hold of when she was drowning in her own misery. The tender glances exchanged at Christmas revealed his heart—and hers. How very odd that a mountain man with a soft-spoken voice had become so endearing.

Thomas had taken the wagon into town to pick up a load of lumber at the mill. He was adding on a room to the cabin for Juanita and himself. The addition was the finishing touch to his and Juanita’s wedding plans. Six more weeks, and the two would be married. Bonnie shook her head to dispel the envy wrapping around her heart. For shame. She should be elated for the couple, not jealous of their happiness. Thomas had lost a wife to cholera years ago. He deserved a woman as fine as Juanita.

Thomas also planned to collect the mail. They expected a letter from the horse breeder in Kentucky, and she was ready to wire money for a good stallion.

“I’ll be back in short order,” he’d said. “I’ve asked Jesse to keep an eye on the house.”

“No need. Send him on with the others to help clear the far woods for pasture.”

Thomas frowned. “My job is to keep you safe. I gave my word.”

“All right. I’ll let Jesse keep Juanita and me company.”

Thomas’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “Thanks. I want no worries while I’m gone.”

But when he left with the wagon, she sent Jesse on with the other hands to clear the woods. They needed the extra land for grazing. The idea of being termed a helpless female scraped against her pride. After all, Morgan didn’t fret over leaving Casey alone.

The sound of horse hooves drew her attention. The sight of a familiar appaloosa gelding sent a sinking feeling to the pit of her stomach. She thought she’d seen the last of Lester, especially with Morgan’s ultimatum that day in the pouring rain. Obviously not. He rode up alongside her. Turning to face him, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Mornin’, Bonnie.” He lifted his hat and smiled his jaunty best.

“Lester, I asked you not to come here. You’re not welcome.”

His smile may have swept other women off their feet, but not Bonnie Kahler. The thought of him and what had happened to Rosie stayed in the front of her mind. And to think he’d hinted of Travis’s and Zack’s involvement.

“I’m heading back East tomorrow on business, and I wanted to take Zack with me. I plan to make a stop in Virginia, and my friend at Fishburne assures me there is room for him. The boy wouldn’t have to travel alone.”

“How many times have I told you that Zack is not going to a military school? He’s staying right here with me.” Caution settled on her, and she bit back a mouthful of bad-tasting words. “I appreciate your offer, but Zack has everything he needs until he’s ready to further his education at a university.”

“I normally like kids, all of them, but that son of yours is trouble.”

“Then you don’t really know him.”

“Can we go inside to talk about it?” He leaned against his saddle horn. “I know this is a delicate subject, but have you ever wondered why he found Rosie’s body?”

“Get off my land, Lester. This conversation is over.”

“A lot of folks claim either Brother Travis or Zack killed her. Think about it. He either stabbed Rosie or is covering up for the preacher.”

“Neither of them are killers. You’re disgusting.”

“The truth always hurts the innocent.”

“Get off my land.”

He laughed. “You’ve gotten a bit feisty of late.”

“I take after my mama—and my brothers.”

He frowned. “I rather liked the old Bonnie.”

“You mean the one who needed wine to sleep and cried more than she laughed? She doesn’t live here anymore.”

Lester smirked and then dismounted.

“I asked you to leave. Do you really want to tangle with my brothers?”

“Let me ponder on that a minute. Who in this town would take the word of an Andrews over mine? Morgan married an outlaw, and Grant married a whore’s sister.”

He stared at her for a minute, and the intensity frightened her more than she cared to admit.

“Thomas isn’t here,” he said. “I saw him take the wagon into town.”

“He’ll be right back.”

“Liar. I heard him say he had lumber to load.”

“That won’t take long. I’m warning you.”

“Warning me against what? Bonnie, you know I’m in love with you. Have been for a long time. And I think you’re in love with me, too.”

“Don’t make me sick. Need I remind you that you’re married? Sylvia is a wonderful woman, and you don’t deserve her. I’ll never understand why she took you back after your affair with Martha.”

“Sylvia’s never let me forget that.” He rubbed his gloved palms together. “Why did you tell her about our little arrangement?”

“The wine? Because she deserved to know the truth. I played a part in that ruse and needed to ask for her forgiveness.”

“You only wanted to cause trouble between Sylvia and me.”

Bonnie lifted her chin. “You manage trouble before you get out of bed in the morning.” Disgust sprinkled on her like dirt in a dust storm. “I’m asking you one more time to leave, or I’ll get help.”

He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a revolver. “You and I are going to have a talk inside.”