Page 18 of Charlotte's Reckoning
Rowie inched to the edge of the bed, stiff and achy like a woman four times her age. She scanned the room for something to wear andnoticedher heap of discarded clothes in a corner. Moving as fast as her battered body would allow, she made her way to the pile and held up her traveling dress. Itwasnot only filthy but in tatters, ripped from her earlier, along with her underthings.
Of no use to her, she dropped it and surveyed the barren room. The“niceties”Noah mentioned weren’t afforded to the less-than-cooperative new girl, evidently.
Rowie crossed to the only other door in the room. Surprised when the doorknob turned, she eased it open and peeked inside. Itwasa closet. On the shelves, she foundneatlyfolded linens, towels, wrapped soaps, and, to her relief, several shifts.
She slipped one on, dismayed itwasnearlytransparent, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. She stuffed sheets and towels into a pillow slip.Ifshehadto sleep on the street,she’dneed them.
Whenshe stepped back to close the door, shewasnever more relieved toseeher cloak hanging on a hook on the back. Itwasas dirty as her dress and stained with vomit and Carson’s blood, but she slipped it on, thankful for what little protection it provided.
Next, she dashed to the window and opened the shutters. She undid the latch with trembling hands, but when she pulled up on the handles, it wouldn’t budge. She ran her fingers along the top edge, searching for what kept it from opening. Finding nothing amiss, she did the same at the bottom. Her fingertipsimmediatelyencountered the problem—nails, at least a dozen of them. She didn’tknowwhat she wanted more, to scream or punch something. Considering her vexation, her preference would be the latter and her punching bag, Madam Heloise.
Staring at it in frustrated disbelief, she declared, “What idiot nails a window shut?”
“Not an idiot, a savvy woman who has lost valuable purchases out that window.”
Rowie spun and found the madam standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, which was a feat with her mammoth breasts. She said in an accusatory tone, “Iseeyou’re a thief as well.”
“The cape is mine, stolen along with me from the train.”Rowie refuted her allegation with more bravado than she felt. It almost collapsed when Heloise stalked toward her and yanked open her cloak apart.
“The shifts and linens are yours, too, I suppose?”
“I wouldn’t call a shift and a few sheets stealing after you destroyed my dress and underthings.I’dsay it’s compensation, although it doesn’t come close to a fair trade.Butby all means, send for the law and have me arrested.I’dchoose jail over your hospitality any day.”
Heloise’s eyes narrowed, but Rowie stood her ground. “You’re going to be a problem, aren’t you?”
“Not if you let me go.”
“Without a return on my investment? I think not. Have you come up with a way to pay me?”When Rowie didn’t have a comment for once, she laughed. “I didn’t think so. You’ll be enjoying my hospitality for quite a while then, won’t you?”She turned to leave. “There are guards at every door and the bottom of both staircases. The reward for preventing an escape is $50 and a free sample. They all want to try out the new girl. So,by all means,”she echoed snidely, “test them all you like.”
EventhoughHeloise slammed the door behind her, shecouldhearher cruel laughter in the hall. What she didn’thearwasthe snick of the lock. She tested the knob, cracking the door when it turned, and peeked out.
Noah stood guard, as big and silent as a mountain. When he looked her way, Rowie retreated inside.
“Now, what?” she whispered.
With no way to escape Heloise’s hellish prison, she slid to the floor out of hope. That’s when the tearsshe’dheldat bay for so long overflowed.
Chapter 5
Not Long for this World
Jefferson City, Missouri
After Deadeye Bill’s death, the gang laid low and grieved his loss. No one felt like discussing how they’d move forward without Deadeye Bill leading them. And they hadn’t felt like discussing their next job either, let alone planning it. That had always been Pa’s job.
Judd hung around for about a week before he got restless. Then he headed out looking for liquor and women. Instead of staggering home near sunup, as was his habit, he’d walked into the cabin after supper, sober as a judge, three men following on his heels. Seth had seen none of them before.
One man was tall and gangly, not much older than him. Another, about Ike’s age, sported a thick, wiry handlebar mustache, perhaps compensating for his lack of hair on top, which was revealed when he removed his hat and rubbed his head. The last man Seth took an instant dislike to. He had dark, greasy hair, a thick, coarse beard that did little to mask the contempt twisting his lips, and beady eyes that flicked over each of them with icy disdain, finding them lacking.
“We’re back in business, men. This is Stan, Hoyt, and Thorn,”he announced, pointing to each man in turn. “They’ll be joining us on our next job.”
Rousing from Pa’s chair by the fire where he’d been nursing a whiskey bottle for the past week, Ike asked, “What job?”
“A bank job in Jefferson City. We’ve just come from casing it. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m tired of us sitting around on our asses acting like someone just shot our horse.”
Judd’s callous comment ran all over Seth, who knocked over his chair as he sprang to his feet. “Not our horse, our father. To the rest of us, a brother or a friend. I see nothing wrong with taking a few weeks to regroup, not to mention burying him and reflecting on his memory. Or are you saying he didn’t earn that respect?”
Judd raised his hands defensively, clearly surprised by his vehemence. “Easy, kid. I wasn’t saying that at all. I miss him, too, but sitting around dwelling on it doesn’t make the pain of his loss any easier. At least not for me.”
