Page 94 of Charlotte's Reckoning
“See you in court, Mr. Sneed. If not sooner.”
As Seth walked to the door, he heard him railing at his men. “You’re all just sitting around! Why the hell didn’t you do something? What am I paying you for?”
One drawled, “If you want us to get into a dust-up with the law, you’ll have to pay us more.”
“A lot more,” another agreed.
Seth would have laughed if he weren’t so tired.
When he walked outside, a gust of wind and rain hit him like a slap in the face. The streets were quiet, likely because of the weather, but Seth’s mindwas racing. First, he needed to find Charlotte and ensure her safety then get proof that Quentin Sneed wasn’t all that he claimed.
“Sheriff Walker,” someone called before he could mount up. Charlotte’s friend Violet stood on the porch. She seemed not to notice the foul weather, or that she was getting soaked, the distress written clearly on her face for a different reason.
Seth retraced his steps and, once on the porch, pulled her away from the doors and windows so Quentin and his men couldn’t see her talking to the law. He doubted that would go over well after the play he’d just made.
Violet blurted out, “I should have gone with her.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“To the inn, but when I went to visit her yesterday, she wasn’t there. The snooty clerk at the desk said she never checked in.”
Her regret was painfully obvious. Seth placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his own emotions running high. “It’s not your fault, Violet. I’ll find her. But tell me, what did Sneed do to make her leave?”
“No one wants to stay under the same roof with that slimy little man and his men. They think they have a right to all the booze they can swill and free services upstairs. Most have left.”
“What about you? Why have you stayed?” he asked.
Looking down at her hands, she whispered, “Some of us have no place else to go.”
“I’ll think of something. Come with me.”
“No. Find Charlotte. If something were to happen to her, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. What’s more, we’ll have no hope of ever getting Sneed out of the Red Eye.”
With that, she quietly disappeared around the corner of the building.
“Hellfire,” he cursed under his breath. He despised leaving defenseless women to the likes of Sneed and his outlaw crew. Being new to town, he didn’t know where else they could go for refuge but knew someone who might—Mayor Jackson. As he strode to his horse, he added another task to his already long list.
***
Seth returned downtown, stopping at the bank first then the telegraph office, which was on the way to the inn. The telegraph clerk was closing up, but his badge gave him privileges. He sent inquiries to two contacts in New Orleans, asking for everything they knew about the Sneed brothers.
Next, he made his way to the inn. It was a long shot after Violet had not found her there. The clerk at the desk had recently returned to work followinga week-long illness. He couldn’t say who had checked in or out during that period but confirmed no female guests were staying alone.
As he was leaving, he experienced several strokes of good luck. Charlotte’s attorney was conversing with the mayor and his wife on the boardwalk across the street, and the rain had stopped for the first time all day.
“Mr. Bennett,” he called out as he crossed, narrowly avoiding a mud-splattering feed wagon passing by. “I beg your pardon,” he said, tipping his hat to Janelle. “But this is a matter of some urgency.” He glanced at the solicitor. “Sneed has taken over the Red Eye.”
“Taken over!” Bennett exclaimed. “What gives him the right?”
“Six intimidating armed outlaws is my guess. But a bigger concern is that Charlotte left when Sneed arrived, and no one seems to know where she’s gone.”
Aaron glanced behind him. “She’s not at the inn, I take it?”
Janelle sniffed and muttered, “She’s too good for that dump.”
Her husband’s intense gaze bore into her. “What do you know about this?”
“I...uh...nothing,” she stammered.
